MANILA, Philippines — International pool champion Dennis Orcollo on Friday lauded Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte for promoting billiard through the upcoming inter-barangay tournament in the city.
In a video message on Facebook, the US Open champion and multiple Asian and Southeast Asian Games gold medalist also called on the country’s young cue artists to participate in the inaugural Joy Belmonte Inter-Barangay Amateur 10-Ball Open Billiard Tournament.
“Thank you Mayor Joy Belmonte for this tournament which our beloved sport badly needs right now. This inter-barangay tournament in Quezon City is a great start to revive the interest of the Filipinos, especially the youth, in billiard,” Orcollo stressed.
Orcollo, who added a gold medal to his collection during the 30th Southeast Asian Games that the country hosted last November, lamented how the sport appears to be “dying” in the Philippines.
“Billiard is already dying in the Philippines when we used to dominate and set the standards in this sport. We don’t see tournaments anymore, so we can say that it’s fading,” Orcollo said.
He said this is why the event is extra significant for the country’s top pool players like them.
“All of us who compete abroad and represent our country in this sport will pray for the success of this tournament of Mayor Joy,” Orcollo added.
The Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), organizer of the the inaugural event, said participants from 142 barangays in all six districts of the city are expected to see action.
BMPAP president Perry Mariano said they hope to discover new talents that would follow the footsteps of Quezon City’s pride, Orcollo.
Mariano said they hope to showcase new talents and discover the country’s next generation of international pool champions, especially with the end of an era in the imminent retirement of billiard legend Efren “Bata” Reyes.
The tournament, slated from Feb. 3 to 9, offers over P200,000 in cash prizes.
The champion will get a cash prize of P100,000 plus trophy while the winning barangay will receive a complete set of billiard table and balls as part of the objective of the event to promote the sporting event in the city.
The second placer will receive a cash prize of P50,000 plus trophy, the third placer gets P25,000 while the fourth placer earns P25,000.