Teen star braces for toughest test in Billiards Idol finals

Johann “Bubwit” Chua tries to continue his impressive showing and live up to his tag as one of the most promising cue artists in the country as he battles the best among the current crop of promising stars in the grand finals of the Search for the New Billiards Idol today at the Superman Sports Bar in Libis, Quezon City.

Chua, 16, is coming off a quarterfinals finish in the 2008 Bali Open earlier this month for his first overseas stint.

“It’s been my dream to become one of the best players in the world like my idols Efren “Bata” Reyes, Django Bustamante, Dennis Orcollo, Ronnie Alcano and Alex Pagulayan. That’s why I will do my best to grab the opportunity in this tournament,” said Chua.

The one-day event is the culmination of the yearlong series of tournaments put up by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), in cooperation with Bugsy Promotions headed by businessman Perry Mariano, as its pilot grassroots development project.

It will gather the top 30 performers from the previous 13 legs, who aside from being crowned as the Ultimate Billiards Idol will also vie for a total cash pot of P80,000 at stake in this event sponsored by the Association of Clubs Karaoke and Disco Operators (ACKDO) and Tiger Motorcycle, and supported by Puyat Sports, Negros Billiards Stable and Senator Manny Villar’s Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippines Sports.

He will also be seeded in all Villar Cup legs next year.

Other leading title aspirants are three-time leg winner William Millares, along with one-time baton-holders Mark Mendoza, Jomar de Ocampo, Benjie Guevarra, Egie Geronimo, Joey Pardales, Romar Villones, as well as two-time World Juniors campaigner Rene Mar “Revo” David.

The Search for the New Billiards Idol, which began last February, has attracted more than 200 participants from all over the country.

Apart from its regular leg at the AMF-Puyat Billiards Center in New Farmer Plaza in Cubao, the series also had stops in Davao and Bacolod.