 Ronnie Alcano |
REIGNING WORLD POOL CHAMPION Ronato “Volcano” Alcano will spearheaded team Philippines when the 2006 Super Cup Invitational Championships reels off today, Dec.22 in Taipei, Taiwan.
Aside from Alcano, the 2002 AZ Billiards Rookie of the Year, Filipino pool legend Jose “Amang” Parica and 2004 World Pool Champion and 2005 US Open ruler Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan also seeing in action this three-day affair.
Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) president Ernesto "Ernie" Fajardo said “ He'd be competing against some of the Taiwanese players and few from Europe, US and other Filipinos. That should be a great challenge for Alcano.”
The 34-year-old lanky cue artists Alcano, one of the top players of Bugsy promotions of Perry and Verna Mariano, will be pitted among world's best that includes 2006 WPC runner-up German Ralf “Kaiser” Soqouet, whom Alcano beat in the finals, 17-11, 2005 Challenge of Champion winner Thomas “The Lean Machine” Engert also from Germany, 2006 World 8-ball IPT runner-up Rodney “Rockets” Morris of the USA, 2005 Velden, Austria World Junior runner-up Hijikato Hayato of Japan and UK's sensation Raj Hundal.
While host country will parade defending champion and former two-time Asian games champion Yang-Ching Shun, formers World Pool Champion Wu Chia-Ching and Chao Fong-Pang, Chang Jung-Lin, Lee Kun-Fang and Fu Che-Wei.
Meanwhile, it looks like Alcano is reaping the benefits of his monumental win in this year's 2006 WPC. The organizers of the World 8 Ball Championships have already seeded him together with Efren Reyes, Alex Pagulayan and Django Bustamante.
Ronnie who arrived the country late Wednesday is come from a sort of exhibition in the Vietnam National Pool Championships in Danang, Vietnam where he lost his first game to an unknown Vietnamese but redeemed himself by winning his next two matches, including one against Luong Chi Dung, a 2006 WPC quarterfinalist and the 2005 Manila Southeast Asian games 9-ball gold medallist, who beat Pagulayan in the finals.
“I know that the Super Cup in Taiwan is a very tough event. However, i prepared so much in this event and I hope i will win for the country's honor and glory.” said Alcano with this writer during the Christmas party presented by Marianos' family the other day where no less than Quezon City Majority Floor leader and 4th district Councilor Ariel Inton is one of the guest in the said affair.
As to the World 8 Ball Championships in the United Arab Emirates this March 2007, the organizers know the Filipinos' passion in the sport and it will attract a huge following among the Pinoy OFW's in the UAE where the organizers planning to invite and seed current World Pool leaque ruler Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo, uprising Marlon “Marvelous” Manalo and Antonio “Gaga” Gabica, the most outstanding Filipino athlete in 15th Asian games in Doha, Qatar with pocketed gold in the 9-balls and silver in the 8-balls single competition.
File photo courtesy of Diana Hoppe - Pool Pics by Hoppe
