by Milo
Previous article:
http://sportsandbeans.wordpress.com/2006/08/09/will-the-filipino-dominance-continue/
The billiards fairytale keeps on unfolding, and yet, it still tells the same story in each chapter.
The last leg of the 2006 San Miguel Asian 9-ball Tour in Jakarta ended last Sunday, and once again, a Filipino was left standing tall with prize check in hand.
Fresh off his triumph in the International Pool Tour’s World Open 8-Ball Championship over Rodney Morris, “the Magician” Efren “Bata” Reyes stood victorious in the Jakarta leg of the Asian 9-ball tour defeating Indonesian and hometown hero Ricky Yang 11-6.
With this win, Reyes becomes the alpha and the omega of this tournament by winning this last leg of the tournament and the first leg back in Vietnam early this year. This triumph also completed a historical Filipino sweep of the entire tournament, with Rodolfo Luat and Ramil Gallego taking the second (Bangkok) and third (Taiwan) legs, respectively.
The victory placed Efren Reyes in the top position in the Asian ranking this year, the number one seed for the Asians for the World Pool Championships 2006 in November held in Reyes’ home turf, the Philippines.
Also in the top ten of the Tour Order of Merit are Francisco Bustamante, Ramil Gallego, and Rodolfo Luat. Chinese-Taipei, although not winning any leg, also has four players in the top ten in the forms of Yang Ching Shun, Wu Chia Ching, Chao Fong Pang and Wang Hung Hsiang. The two other players in the top ten are Li He Wen of China and Au Chi Wai of Hong Kong. These top ten players will all qualify into the World Pool Championships.
With less than two months to go, the Philippines as a whole have boatloads of momentum going in to the World Pool Championships to the delight of the Filipinos.
Sporting the momentum, home country and all the other advantages the Filipinos have that I cited in my earlier article, I reiterate my statement that the revered world crown may be coming back home to the Philippines.
With the way the balls are caroming recently, a win in the grandest tournament of them all in billiards certainly looks good for the Filipinos.
