Clean Living
Pagulayan the man to watch
By Manolo Iñigo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:37:00 06/10/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan, who won the World Pool Championship in 2004, is the man to watch in the Cebu leg of the Senate President Manny Villar Billiards Cup at the Atrium of SM City Cebu on June 20 to 22.
Even though he played poorly in last week’s Guinness 9-Ball Tour at the Genting International Convention Center in Malaysia, I’m picking the 29-year-old Pagulayan to figure prominently in Cebu City against a star-studded field that includes the fabled Efren “Bata” Reyes and Ronnie Alcano, who are both former world champions; former world No. 1 Francisco “Django” Bustamante and current world No. 1 Dennis Orcollo.
Not to be ignored, too, is Cebu native and three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Warren Kiamco, who will be gunning for back-to-back wins after ruling the inaugural leg of this nationwide tour at the Star Mall in Muntinlupa City last May 10.
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Despite Pagulayan’s loss to upcoming Marvin Gentapa of Cebu City and rising star Joven Bustamante in the recent Magnificent 7 Winner-Take-All 9-Ball Invitational in Mandaue City, Alex still managed to win the championship.
I feel Alex is well-placed to win in Cebu because he is playing on familiar territory.
Sometime last year, at the height of his falling out with the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines, Pagulayan proved his critics wrong by winning, with a flourish, a major tournament in Cebu.
While Pagulayan is not yet in the class of Hall of Famer Bata Reyes, Alex is pleasant to watch. He dazzles pool circles with his relentless, often comic, ways in establishing himself as a terror with the cue stick.
“I’m always nervous when I compete,” Pagulayan admitted. “However, I’m confident of doing well in this (Cebu) event.”
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Incidentally, Pagulayan, who hails from Cabagan, Isabela, is also a mean poker player. Just recently, he won the 2008 PartyPoker Net World Pool Masters. Recall that a few years ago, I wrote an exclusive article about his excelling in poker as well by qualifying for the semifinals of a televised poker tournament in London which featured various sports celebrities.
Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn, who is in his mid-50s, entered Pagulayan in the poker tournament during a break in the Filipino’s campaign in Europe.
A longtime friend of sports patron Aristeo “Putch” Puyat, the Matchroom boss said then: “Alex, a mainstay of Puyat Sports, has won the hearts of British TV poker fans. His unorthodox playing style has made an impact.”
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For the Villar Cup in Cebu City, a total of 64 topnotch players, including 20 who have been seeded, will be competing for fame and nearly P1 million in prize money.
The blue-ribbon event is organized by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines and supported by Bugsy Promotions, Puyat Sports, Negros Billiards Stable, Sunstar Superbalita and Camella Communities. It is sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board.
Other seeded players are veteran internationalist Rodolfo Luat, Joven Bustamante, Jharome Peña, Ramil Gallego, Carlo Biado, Ricky Zerna, Jundel Mason, Elmer Haya, women players Rubilen Amit and Mary Ann Basas and Villar Cup first leg Sipag at Tiyaga division winner Benson Palce.
Those who made it via the “Search for the New Billiards Idol” qualifying tournament held last week were Rene Mar David, Russian Petiza, Johann Chua and Manolo Tanasas.
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