Back in those day, of course, basketball players did not earn as much as they do now but still, the 5-foot-11 Alcano doesn’t regret his choice. Who would when you have just won the most coveted pool title by overpowering the finest players in the world, among them your legendary idol?
The 34-year-old Alcano silently rebounded from a shaky start in the group stages to rise from obscurity and become the latest sports hero to hit town. And he is now the world’s best pool player.
"Dati nakilala lang ako na Ronnie. Ngayon, natatawag na akong champ at yung respeto na makukuha mo. And masyadong busy na katulad ng kagaya mo…" he trails off, referring to the media that had veered its focus from the veterans to this new kid on the billiards block who, after defeating his hero Efren "Bata" Reyes, found no other reason why he couldn’t bag the World Pool championship.
Popularity may be something new to Alcano, but winning titles isn’t.
Prior to his big win this year, Alcano had a major success run in 2005 as a double gold medallist in the Southeast Asian Games, Korean Pro Pool Tour champion, Sun Star Super Balita International 9-Ball champion and top men at the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour Manila Leg.
What made the World Pool championship victory sweeter was that the event was held for the first time on Philippine soil.
Alcano, who is known to have followed after Reyes’s "toothless" trademark, tells STARweek that he was looking forward to testing his mettle against the pool legend who, he says, was his ultimate test during the tournament.
"Siyempre ang sarap ng pakiramdam nung matalo ko si Efren. Ang pangarap ko talaga ay makatapat ko sa tournament si Efren. ‘Yan ang pinakapangarap ko–na yung idol ko makalaban ko (Of course it felt good to beat Efren. My dream has always been to go up against my idol in a tournament)"Alcano says.
This does not mean though that Alcano underestimated the talents of the rest of the field.
"Alam kong magaling si Souquet. Kaya lang nung time na yun, kahit sino na. Ang iniisip ko lang noon eh makalaban si Efren. So nung nalusutan ko si Efren… wala na (I know Souquet is good, but at the time all I thought about was playing against Efren. After I beat him, that was it)," he points out, as he acknowledges the strength of his finals opponent Ralf Souquet of Germany who won the tournament in 1996.
Before this competition that featured more than 100 players from 21 countries, Alcano recalls that he had squared off with Souquet on a number of occasions.
"Tinalo ko na din siya so alam n’yang mabigat din akong kalaban, eh nung time pa na yun, wala akong nararamdamang pressure kaya mas lalo siyang nahirapan (I had beat him before so he knows my worth as an opponent, and at that time I felt no pressure so it was even harder for him)."
The pressure came off, Alcano says, after his make-or-break game with Reyes in the Round of 32 with a 10-7 win. "At the time, medyo lamang ako sa break. Ako ang may preparasyon, so yun na ang nagdala sa akin (I had better breaks. I prepared well, and that saw me through).
"Pagtapos noon, bale wala na kung sino pang makaharap ko kahit (After that, it didn’t matter who I played, even if it was the) defending champion pa," he notes, as he went on to outclass the tournament’s 2005 winner Wu Chia-ching of Taiwan.
Living up to his moniker "The Volcano," Alcano exploded after struggling in the beginning of the tournament, but stayed cool and collected even as he treated every game like it was his last. "Bago ako pumasok sa Round of 64, may nadaanan akong hirap. Nung nasa Round of 64 na ako, lahat ng laban ko iniisip ko na final na (I had difficulties before the Rouond of 64. When I got in, I thought of each match as a final)."
After a tense match with Chinese player Li He-wen and with the stage set for the finals, Alcano turned his strategy around as he felt that the pressure was more on Souquet. "Nung dumating ako sa finals, hindi ko inisip na finals na ito. Parang laro-laro lang. Nag enjoy lang ako (When I got to the finals, I didn’t consider it the finals. I just played, and enjoyed myself)."
The strategy worked as Alcano started strong. "So nung nakalamang ako ng tatlo, inisip ko na mahirap na siyang makabalik. Sa laban kasi, kapag nakalamang ka ng tatlo, mahirap nang mahabol yun (When I was ahead by three, I knew it would be hard for him to come back. In this game, when you’re down by three racks, it’s hard to catch up)," he shares.
The closest Souquet got was at 14-9, but this did not daunt Alcano, as he went on to snag the match and the trophy with a runaway 17-11 victory before a huge crowd at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City–and before millions of Filipinos watching the match on television.
Alcano was the third Filipino to win the World Pool title, after Alex Pagulayan in 2004 and Reyes in 1999. For this honor, he was conferred by President Arroyo the Order of Lakandula with the Rank of Champion for Life.
Despite becoming the latest national pride and earning praises from his fellow pool players, Alcano attributes in part his win, including against Reyes, to luck.
"Si Efren kasi mahirap talunin. Nung time na yun, malas si Efren, ako naman masuwerte. Lahat ng players magagaling pero hindi puwedeng galing lang. Kailangan mo din ng suwerte. Nung time na yun, galing lang ang lumabas kay Efren., walang suwerte (It’s hard to beat Efren. That time, he wasn’t lucky, I was. It’s not enough that you’re good; you need luck. That time, Efren only had his skill, but no luck)," he stresses.
Alcano, who is also nicknamed "Calamba" as he was born in this town in Laguna, grew up practically sleeping on the billiard table that his father, also a pool aficionado, bought. This was where pool buffs in their neighborhood came to play and where the young Alcano honed his skills.
But with his towering height and the influence of his father, who he says was a former professional basketball player for 7-Up, Alcano also loved to shoot hoops and joining local leagues.
Ricardo and Teresita Alcano’s five kids are all boys with Ronnie in the middle. "Calamba" says he was the only one who followed the footsteps of his dad who, however, did not get to see his son win the 2006 World Pool championship as he passed away some five years ago. His 57-year-old mother was at their home in Laguna when he made the nation proud.
When he got good at the game, Alcano recalls his father said he had to choose which sport he wanted to excel in. "Nung time na yun, ayaw ng erpat ko ng dalawa. Pinapili niya ako: Doon ba sa mababalian ka, o doon sa magkakapera ka (My father didn’t want me doing both. He made me choose: the sport where I’d probably break my bones, or the one where I couyld make money)."
His choice was obviously the right one, but whenever he finds time, the lanky Alcano still plays basketball. "Laro-laro lang. Hindi ko din maiwasan (It’s just play; I can’t avcoid it)."
Even though his father supported his pool playing, education was still a priority. Alcano, however, did not finish his studies, and at one point in his life, he recalls stowing away to Manila to pursue his dream.
Alcano started playing professional pool at the age of 19, and shares that the first tournament he won in 1987 sponsored by the local government motivated him further to get into the big leagues.
The name Ronnie Alcano first drew attention in 2001 when he made it to the finals against veteran Edgar Acaba in tournament The Rising Stars of 9-ball.
Between 2002 and 2003, he made a name for himself in the international scene when he competed in the tough Joss Northeast 9-ball Tour in the U.S. where was twice awarded Player of the Year, and was named Rookie of the Year by top US billiards website AZbilliards.com.
"Hindi kasi ako nun nawawala sa Top 3 (I was always in the top three)," Alcano says of his experience in the Joss tournament.
With invitations pouring in following his World Pool title win, he says he is adjusting to his newfound fame.
"Okay"lang, adjust lang," says Alcano, whose last invitation to play was in Taiwan from Dec. 22 to 24. "Invitational, so hindi tayo puwedeng tumanggi (I can’t say no)."
Alcano is determined to defend his title as the world’s best pool player. "Back to back...siyempre maganda yun. Yun ang paghahandaan ko (...of course that’s nice. That’s what I’ll prepare for)."