 Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) president Jonathan Sy and Mark Mendoza |
MANILA, PHILIPPINES---Current National Junior champion Mark Aristotle "Big Mc" Mendoza takes on an elite field when he joins the 2007 WPA World Youth 9-Ball for juniors and girls on Nov. 27 to 30 at the Sauerland Stern Hotel in Willingen, Germany.
The 18-year-old Mendoza, member of the rising Negros Billiard Stable (NBS), will be ranged against an array of notable cue artists in the 19-year-old and below boys and girls junior tournament where no less than the classy Yu-Lun Wu of Taiwan is the three-time defending champion.
"I'm ready. I hope luck is on my side," said Mendoza whose stint here is being supported by billiard patron Jonathan Sy, president of the Negros Billiard Stable and Mandaluyong City mayor Benhur Abalos.
Mendoza had previously won exhibition games against top player of Bugsy Promotion last March.
He beat WPA 9-Ball Champion and WPA 8-Ball Champion Ronato "Volcano" Alcano, 15-8, for the top prize of P11,000 and 2007 Battle of Scandinavia 9-ball runner-up Jharome "Pendong" Peña, 13-12, for P5,000 purse in their 10-ball matches, both played in his billiard hall in Hulo, Mandaluyong City. He also beat Carlo "Cool" Biado and fellow teen-ager Mike Takayama also from Bugsy Promotion for P5,000 purse.
The Mandaluyong City shotmaker made waves in the pool world when he dominate dthe inaugural Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP)-Magnolia Health Tea Philippine Junior Pool Championship last September at the Rizal Memorial Billiards Center in Malate, Manila.
Fondly called "Big Mc" or "Makmak" in the local circuit, Mendoza needed one and a half hours to beat Jordan Legaspi of Bocaue, Bulacan, 11-3, in the finals to capture the P50,000 top prize in the event sponsored by San Miguel Corporation.
"My morale is high because of the full support given to me by Mr. Jonathan Sy and Mayor Benhur Abalos," added Mendoza, referring to the solid support of mayor Benhur and local billiards godfather Jonathan Sy, organizer of the recently concluded $61,400 Negros Oriental 9-Ball Championships in Dumaguete City which topped by Puyat Sports ace Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan.
Accompanying Mark in the tournament is father/coach Ferdinand Mendoza. The Mendoza's and another RP junior representative Renemar "Revo" David are scheduled to leave the country on Saturday.
The 17-year-old David from Barangay Botocan, Quezon City was seeded in the main draw after making it to the quarter-final round in the last year's World Junior edition in Sydney, Australia.
Yen Makabenta, Raya Sports events president and Billiard and Snooker Congress of the Philippines Chairman will follow the RP team on Nov.26 according to elder Mendoza.
Other young cue artists joining the 22 nation boys meet are 2006 Sydney World Junior runner-up Pin-yi Ko and Kui Ming Lin of Taiwan, Ruslan Chinahov and Roman Pruchai of Russia, Yevgen Novosad of Ukraine, Stephen Lammens of Belgium, Marc Bucais and Everette Paul of Canada, Edward Sandjaja Ikhwan of Indonesia, Diego Gomez of Venezuela, Landon Shuffett, Joshua Newman, Christopher Futrell and Richard Barney of the United States, Albin Ouschan of Austria, Xianh Yao of China, Petri MaKKonen of Finland, Mathew Lawrenson of Great Britain, Attila Bezdan of Hungrary, Michal Charnecki of Poland, Hao Xiang Han of Hongkong among others.
The host country will parade Thomas Luttich, Nico Wehner, Dominic Jentsch, Ramazan Dincer and Fabian Breuer.
The winner of the WPA sanctioned event brings home the gold medal, with the runner-up getting the silver medal and the third placer receive bronze medal.
Meanwhile, Filipino-American Mary Rakin will see in action in the distaff side. The Daly City, California based Rakin is the defending World Junior girl tilt.
