INQUIRER Sports

THE six-man Team Philippines battles Norway today for a quarterfinals seat in the first-ever World Team Cup Championship at the Hall 13 Hanover Exhibition Grounds in Hanover, Germany.

After a much needed rest on Wednesday, the Nationals led by former world No.1 Dennis Orcullo, WPA 9-ball and 8-ball ruler Ronato Alcano, two-time BSCP National Pool champion Lee Vann Corteza, former snooker champion Marlon Manalo, Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Warren Kiamco and Japan based Antonio Lining are coming off back-to-back victories in the first two rounds against Great Britain II, 4-0, and the Czech Republic, 4-1.

Norway which is composed of Malvin Bjelland, Vegar Kristiansen, Mats Schjetne and Tommy Wolff, on the other hand beat Iran, 4-1, in the preliminary round but lost to Great Britain, 5-1. It bounced back by eliminating Aruba, 4-2, in the loser?s brackets.

?If the Nationals play correctly, I?m pretty confident they can beat Norway. Huwag lamang silang mag over confidence,? said sportsman Ceferino ?Perry? Mariano, president of the star-studded Bugsy Promotions.

?Hope maganda ulit ang laro ni Dennis (Orcullo), yun kasi ang naging deciding match nila sa nakaraang game nila sa Czech Republic,? Mariano added referring the twin wins of Orcullo in the previous round.

Orcullo, the reigning International Predator 10-ball champion, routed the Czech Republic?s top player Roman Hybler, 8-2, in the 9-ball competition and Lukas Krenek, 7-2 in 10-ball.

The tournament features three disciplines --9-ball, 8-ball Scotch doubles and 10-ball.

The Nationals are now assured of $10,000 (roughly P470,000) after making the ?Sweet 16? round of the 48-nation tournament, which is sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association (WPA).

The $400,000 (roughly P19.2 million) event offers $100,000 to the champion. It is patterned after the Davis Cup.

The other Final 16 matches pit Poland vs Finland; Russia vs Denmark; Sweden vs Germany II; Germany vs Great Britain; China vs Serbia; Switzerland vs Japan and the United States vs Greece.