Pacquiao-Alcano duo ousted in World 10-Ball Pool

Sep 11, 2014

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (LITO DELOS REYES) -- The pair of 8-time world boxing champion and sponsor Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and former world pool king Ronnie Alcano was finally booted out in the on-going MP Cup Gensan Tuna Festival International Open 10 Ball Tournament Sept. 11 (Thursday night) at the SM Mall of GenSan here.
Pacquiao and Alcano lost from a come-from-behind victory by the dynamic duo of former Asian Games champions Antonio Lining and Ramil Gallego, 6-9. After trailing, 1-2, the congressman from Sarangani Province and his partner waxed hot by taking a commanding lead, 6-2. But Alcano finally suffered a miscue that allowed their rivals to explode in the next racks and to spoil the crowd-favorite’s entry into the next round.
Lito delos Reyes (right) with former world 9-ball champion Ga Young Kim of Korea
As of press time, Gallego, currently ranked no. 49 by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPBA) and Lining were playing against dangerous Jeffrey Ignacio and Jeffrey de Luna, rated no. 20 and no. 90, respectively. Ignacio and de Luna previously defeated no. 21 ranked Elmer Haya and Demosthenes Pulpul, 9-4.
Former world champion Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, who earlier pocketed the US$12,000 singles event, combined with John Morra of Canada in whipping the all-Filipino pair of former Palarong Pambansa champions Chezka Centeno and Jeffrey Roda, 9-2 in the winner’s bracket.
Also still undefeated in the same bracket are the pairs of Filipinos Romeo Silvano and Roel Esquillo, Robert Gomez and Warren Kiamco, Chinese-Taipei’s Ko Pin Yi and Chien-Te chung and Chang Yu Lang and Fuchewei.
Former world champions Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante, now ranked by the World Pool-Billiard Association as 47th and 71st, respectively, also remained in contention by crushing Warren Menquito and Dondon Punzalan, 9-3 in the loser’s bracket.
The two Filipino legendary cuemasters will next face Lauro Bongay and Napoleon Labrador, who managed to escape with a 9-8 win over the Chinese-Taipei’s Wu Yu Lun and Long. The 12-day, which is sanctioned by the WPBA and held in celebration of the Tuna Festival has a total cash prize of US$130,000, making it the biggest international pool event in Asia.
“We want to make Gensan as the Pool Capital in the country and maybe in the world,” said tournament official Oliver Pauya. – LITO DELOS REYES