Pool icon Efren “Bata” Reyes and fellow two-time world champion Ronnie Alcano will engage in a rotation match in what will be yet another highlight of the First Senate President Manny Villar Cup Billiards Tournament, which fires off tomorrow at the Sports Center of StarMall Alabang in Muntinlupa City.
The “dream match” will be a race-to-four affair happening in between the championships of the Search for the New Billiards Idol Sipag at Tiyaga Edition and the Top Guns Challenge on May 10.
“Efren and Ronnie are the top two best rotation players in the world,” said Bugsy Promotions head Perry Mariano, who conceptualized the match. “New let's see who is on top of whom; who is number one.”
Both Reyes and Alcano are also seeing action in the Top Guns Challenge, where fellow world-class Filipino cue artists are vying for the P400,000 top purse and the distinction of being the first to hold the Villar Cup.
Reyes, in fact, will be coming from the United States, taking time off from his very tight schedule there, just to compete in the event, which is the highlight of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP)'s month-long celebration of “Philippine Billiards Holidays.”
Alcano, on the other hand, is coming off a runner-up finish in the 2008 World 8-Ball Championship in United Arab Emirates.
“I will try my best to win the Villar Cup as it's been quite a long time since I won a title,” said Alcano.
The other players entered in the Top Guns Challenge are current word no.1 Dennis Orcollo, 2007 World Pool Championship runner-up Roberto Gomez, former Asian Games gold medalist Gandy Valle, reigning national titlist Lee Van Corteza and veteran campaigners Warren Kiamco, Rodolfo Luat, Ramil Gallego, Eduardo Villanueva and Roel Esquillo.
Rounding up the contestants are rising stars Joven Bustamante, Carlo Biado, Jharome Pena, Russian Petiza, Benjie Guevarra, Ricky Zerna, Jundel Mason, Elmer Haya, Panfilo Damuag, Godofredo Ducanes, Cebu's William Chua, 2007 national juniors champion Mark Mendoza, and top lady cue artists Rubilen Amit and Mary Ann Basas.
Over a hundred players from all over the country will compete in the Billiards Idol Sipag at Tiyaga Edition, where a top prize of P200,000 and the equally-prestigious Sipag at Tiyaga trophy awaits the winner. That's for an entry fee of only P300.
The final day of the Villar Cup will be aired on Solar Sports with sultry singer-comedienne Maureen Larrazabal singing the national anthem to usher the championship matches of this event supported by Puyat Sports, Bugsy Promotions, Negros Billiards Stable and StarMall, and sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB).
Interest parties may contact Gandy Valle at 0916-958-9897, Edwin Reyes at 0926-724-9055 or Jojo Santos at 0915-700-800.
