Bata leads RP cast to int'l billiards

All is set for the classic P4.2-million Motolite International 9-Ball championship at the Makati Coliseum on Feb. 16 to 19.

The Philippines' all-star line-up is complete with the top four finishers of the qualifying round - Ramil Gallego, winner; Nickoy Lining, runner-up; Venancio Tanio, third, and Antonio Gabica, fourth - joining seeded world champion Efren "Bata" Reyes, Django Bustamante, Rodolfo "Boy" Samson Luat and Leonardo Andam in the round-of-16 with eight top-ranking American pros.

Gallego defeated Lining, 11-5, in the final of the elimination tournament held at the Puyat Sports Bowling and Billiards Center, Farmers Plaza, Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City.

Aside from advancing to the four-day championship round at the Makati Coliseum, the four qualifiers received cash prizes from tournament sponsor Oriental and Motolite Corp. - Gallego P30,000, Lining P10,000, Tanio and Gabica P5,000 each - which were awarded to them by Motolite senior vice president Miguel Pingol.

Efren Bata & Co. will clash with the 8-strong "Visiting American Forces of Billiards" composed of US Open Champion Johnny Archer, Nick Varner, Jeremy Jones, Mike LeBron, Ernesto Dominguez, Ton Kennedy, Kim Davenport and Jim Rempe who will start arriving on Sunday, February 13.

Flying in on Sunday aboard PAL 103 due to land at 5:10 a.m. are Archer, Jones and LeBron. The other Americans are arriving the next day.

The single elimination (knockout) race-to-15 matches will be televised live daily for four days by Viva Vintage Sports, Inc. for four days starting Wednesday. ESPN will show the tournament to its Asian audience on a delayed basis.