Reyes, 4 others clash for SEAG pool slots

MANILA, Philippines -  Pool icon Efren “Bata” Reyes and four others vie for the last two berths in the Philippines’ 8-ball and 9-ball teams seeing action in this year’s Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.

Current world titlists Francisco “Django” Bustamante (9-ball) and Dennis Orcollo (8-ball) have booked the first two berths in the national squad with the other two being disputed by Jeff de Luna, Carlo Biado, Warren Kiamco, Jundel Mazon and Reyes in a series of tryouts.

Owing to their triumphs at the world meets, Bustamante and Orcollo were given automatic berths to the SEAG meet, leaving the rest of the Phl team members in a battle royale for the one slot remaining in 9-ball and the lone seat left in 8-ball.

“Only two slots are left so we decided to hold monthly round-robin tryouts based on points system from May to August to determine who will make it to the SEA Games,” Bong Ilagan, president of the Billiards Sport Confederation of the Philippines (BSCP), told The STAR yesterday.

A sixth candidate in former double world champion Ronnie Alcano, 8-ball ruler the last time in Laos, was supposed to be part of the trials but has decided to leave the Phl team, according to Ilagan.

“We have such a strong field that we’re sure that anyone who will take the last two slots along with Bustamante and Orcollo will have a solid chance to win the gold in pool,” said Ilagan.

If not in pool, Reyes may compete in one-cushion and three-cushion carom, Ilagan said.                         – Olmin Leyba

POC-PSC National Games queen Rubilen Amit has been seeded into the 8-ball and 9-ball competitions, where she’s defending her twin SEAG titles, and await her companions in the distaff side.

Disputing the last two slots are Iris Ranola, Mary Ann Basas, Floriza Andal and Zemonette Oryan.

Four berths are up for grabs in snooker (two singles and two doubles) with Jomel Sultan, Alvin Barbero, Rodolfo Lordan, and Romiel Morta vying.

Luis Saberdo, Felipe Tauro and playing coach Reynaldo Grandea are aspiring in English billiards.

The fancied Phl billiards and snooker team accounted for three golds, one silver and two bronze medals in the last SEAG in Laos.