The four Filipino pool superstars competing in the second leg of San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour slated on June 2-4, 2006 at the Central Bangna in Bangkok, Thailand have been seeded No.1 in their respective groups while two Taiwanese hotshots have also been seeded at the top of their groups.
The Asian business presence of San Miguel, which in Vietnam has Raymundo "Boyet" Albano as General Manager for San Miguel Brewery Vietnam Ltd., has helped boost the caliber of the competition which will also have stops in Kaoshiung, in South China and in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Filipino billiards master Efren 'Bata' Reyes and former world no.1 player Francisco 'Django' Bustamante, protege of RP billiards patron Aristeo 'Putch' Puyat and BSCP president Ernie Fajardo, is the top seed in Group 4 and Group 3, respectively.
The 51-year-old Reyes, acknowledged around the world as "The Magician" because of his incredible shot-making is among the top favorites to win the second leg after reigning supreme in the inaugural run of the San Miguel Asian 9-ball Tour in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam recently. Reyes went home richer US$10,000 after beating Li He Wen of China, 11-6, in the finals.
The 1999 World Pool Champion won the Jakarta leg last year beating Yang 11-6 and was the overall champion in the first two years of the San Miguel Asian 9Ball Tour winning the Manila Tour stop in 2003 and the Singapore, Ho Chi Minh and Taipei stops in 2004.
The winner of each group in the round robin format will advance to the quarter finals in the race -to-nine, alternate break format.
Uprising "Marvelous" Marlon Manalo heads Group 2 while countryman Ramil 'Bebeng' Gallego, who replace 2004 World Pool Champion Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan, is the top seed in Group 8.
"Ramil (Gallego) is a tested campaigner. Together with Efren, Django and Marlon, our chances in the Bangkok stop of the Asian 9-Ball Tour will be boosted," said Aristeo "Putch" Puyat, local billiards chief patron and president of Puyat Sports.
Reigning world champion and 16-year-old Wu Chia-Ching of Chinese-Taipei has been listed No.1 in Group 1 while compatriot ex-world titlist Chao Fong-Pao is tournament favorites in Group 5.
Also include is Korean sensation Jeong Young-Hwa who leads Group 7 while Ibrahim Bin Amir, a Filipino who hails from Mindanao, and now migrate in Malaysia is listed in Group 6.
