By CHRISTINE MONCADA
THREE of the country’s seasoned cue artists walked out on the
qualifying event for the 2nd leg of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour
held at the Star Paper Billiards Complex last Wednesday.
Former double world champion Ronnie Alcano,
Warren Kiamko and Lee Van Corteza were quarterfinalists in the
qualifier but left the venue after the Billiards and Snookers
Congress of the Philippines backed out on its promise to send
the top two finishers to the Guinness competition slated April
4-6 in Penang , Malaysia .
The BSCP reportedly announced in the middle
of the competition that only the winner will represent the
country to the Asian series while a player will be handpicked
by the association to take the last slot.
"That’s absurd! The purpose of the
qualifier is to determine the best player to represent the
country in the Guinness competition and what better way to do
that but to hold a competition like this," said Billiards
Managers and Players Association of the Philippines’ Perry
Mariano.
"Iniiwasan nga natin ang ‘pili system,’
tapos ganu’n din pala ang gagawin nila. Hindi ko alam kung
bakit nila pinagdadamot ang slot," Mariano added.
Mariano also blasted the BSCP for not
inviting some of the country’s brightest cue artists to join
the qualifier.
Besides Alcano, Kiamko and Corteza, those
asked to join were Marlon Manalo, Antonio Gabica, Jeffrey de
Luna, Rodolfo Luat, Dennis Orcullo, Francisco Bustamante,
Antonio Lining, Ramil Gallego, Leonardo Andam, Leonardo Didal,
Edgar Acaba, Mark Mendoza, Antonio Punzalan, James Al Ortega,
Renemar David, Ricky Cerna, Elvis Calasang and Efren Reyes.
BSCP director and spokesman Jun Diokno, on
the other hand, said that it was just a case of
miscommunication.
"It’s true the BSCP has two slots in the
Guinness, but it doesn’t mean that all those slots are at
stake in the qualifier. It is the BSCP’s sole authority to
choose kung kanino ibibigay ang slot pero dahil na rin sa
pakiusap ng GAB, nag-hold kami ng qualifier," said Diokno.
Doha Asian Games gold medalist Antonio Gabica got one slot
for the second phase of the six-leg Asian series after posting
an 11-1 win over Elvin Calansang while the other berth was
given to Orcollo.
