Bañares gets shot at vengeance vs Ko in Subic pool

MANILA, Philippines – Jericho Bañares looked headed to becoming to first Filipino teenager to win a World Junior Championship last year – until he was frustrated by Ko Pin Yi. On April 21-23, though, Bañares gets his chance to get back at Ko – right before his fellow Filipinos - when they compete in the inaugural Subic-Olongapo Open Pool Championship at the Olongapo City Convention Center. The rivalry between Bañares, the country’s newest pool sensation, and Ko, who eventually defended his World Junior crown, is expected to heat up the tournament. Shortly after losing to Ko in the world meet, Bañares buckled down to work quickly this year and captured the 3rd Billiard Stars Search last March. So impressive was Bañares that he swept the field and ended his campaign with a perfect record. Before that, the pride of Cainta had impressive finishes in the Mandaluyong Mayor’s Cup, the Puerto Princesa Mayor’s Cup, and the 2008 World Ten Ball Championship. For his part, Ko has become the rising star in Chinese Taipei, regarded as a hotbed of pool in Asia. In fact, the 19-year-old sensation emerged as the No.1 in their country for some parts of 2008. With their credentials, Ko and Banares are ranked No.1 and No.2, respectively, in the Subic -Olongapo tilt. Seeded third is Fu Che Wei of Chinese Taipei, a top four player in Chinese Taipei and a consistent performer in major international tournaments. Ranked fourth is Jeffrey De Luna, best known for his victory in the Manny Pacquiao International Pool Championship and currently ranked No. 4 by the Asian Pocket Billiards Union (APBU). The other seeded players in the tournament are: Demosthenes Pulpul of the Philippines (5), Ricky Yang of Indonesia (6), Amir Ibrahim of Malaysia (7) and Overseas Filipino Worker Alan Cuartero (8). Pulpul barged into the world billiard scene when he made it all the way to the semifinal round of last year’s inaugural staging of the World Ten Ball Championship in Manila. A total of 19 foreign players from Asia, Europe and the Middle East and over 30 Filipino players have registered for the tournament, which offers a top prize of $10,000. Stage 1 of the Subic-Olongapo Open – the qualifying round – will unfold on April 18 and 19 at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City. Participants will dispute eight qualifier spots to the main tournament (Stage 2). The tournament then moves to the Olongapo City Convention Center on April 21 for Stage 2, with 32 players competing, including the top eight seeds. –GMANews.TV