QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES - Fil-Canadian Alex Pagulayan has a new goal in life - to win gold medals in the upcoming 2005 Manila Southeast Asian Games slated on Nov. 27 to Dec. 4.
The 27-year-old native of Cabagan, Isabela used to have only three goals in life - to win the world championship, to win the US Open and to grow two more inches taller.
He won the World Pool Championships by besting home-crowd favorite Pei Wei Chang last year in Taipei, Taiwan and defeated countryman Jose 'Amang' Parica in the finals to win the US Open last September in Chesapeake, Virginia to accomplish his first two goals.
"I added in my list of goals the gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games," said the 5-foot-3 Pagulayan in an exclusive interview of this writer yesterday.
Pagulayan will be seeing in action in the snooker doubles, snooker team, 8-ball pool singles, 9-ball singles and 9-ball doubles.
Alex will team up with Joven Alba in the snooker doubles and with Alba, veteran Leonardo 'Dodong Dadiangas' Andam, and Felipe Tauro Jr in team competition. He will be paired with Dennis 'Surigao' Orcullo in the 9-ball doubles.
Aristeo 'Putch' Puyat, godfather of RP billiards, is optimistic that the Filipino will dominate in the biennial meet.
"Our players are exposes in local and international events. I'm confident that we can win many gold medals in the Manila SEAG."
In a separate interview, Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) president Ernesto 'Ernie' Fajardo doesn't want to give any prediction on how our players will fare.
"It's hard to predict how many gold medals we can win in the pool and snooker events. But like Putch (Puyat) had said we have a big chance of winning."
The other RP Pool and Snooker players vying for 14 gold medal at stakes are Reynaldo Grandea and Luis Saberdo (English Billiards/ Single and Double event); Reynaldo Grandea and Francisco Dela Cruz (One Cushion Carom Singles); Ronnie Alcano and Antonio Gabica (15-Ball Rotation Single); Rubilen Amit and Iris Ra'ola (Women 8-Ball Pool Single); Rubilen Amit and Mary Ann Basas (9-Ball Pool Single).
File photo courtesy of Diana Hoppe - Pool Pics By Hoppe
