Villar lauds Orcollo's China Open win

CEBU, Philippines - Sen. Manny Villar lauded Dennis Orcollo, one of the country’s top billiards players, for winning the 2012 China Open held in Shanghai recently.

“Orcollo’s win solidifies the Filipino’s dominance over billiards. For years, more and more Filipinos are getting international fame in this sport and like boxing, people are seeing billiards as the Filipino’s game,” Villar said.

Villar authored Proposed Senate Resolution No. 875 commending Orcollo for beating Chinese-Taipei’s Lu Hui Chan with the 11-9 score.

Orcollo branded the win, his first in a Chinese pro event, as the most special win of his career.

Previously, Orcollo won in some of the biggest pool tournaments in the world, including the World Pool League, World Pool Masters, Derby City Classics, US Bar Table and Billiards Congress of America.

“Billiards now matches the popularity of basketball among Filipinos, especially the youth. Support for this sport should be encouraged and enhanced,” Villar said.

In 2009, Villar started the Villards Cup which provided budding billiards players a venue to compete against amateur players and play alongside veteran players like Orcollo, Efren ‘Bata Reyes, Alex Pagulayan, Ronnie Alcano, Django Bustamante, Gandy Valle, Warren Kiamco, Lee Van Corteza, Ramil Gallego, Roberto Gomez and others.

This year, the Cup will resume on September 23 at Starmall San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. Sixteen amateur players from all over the province qualified for the competition.   (FREEMAN)