Top billiard players gather in Cebu for the first big billiards competition in the Visayas

Cebu’s Warren Kiamco (extreme left) with Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella (4th from left) and other stakeholders of the Sargo sa Cebu City Open 10-Ball Billiard Tournament during the press conference, Friday, October 3, at the Robinson’s Galleria. |CDN Digital Photo/ Mars G. Alison

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A whooping P300,000 in cash will be up for grabs to whoever will emerge as the champion in the first ever Sargo sa Cebu City Open 10-Ball Billiard Tournament, which will officially begin its games today, Friday, October 4, 2019 at the Atrium of Robinson’s Galleria. 

Renowned billiard players will gather in Cebu for the first-ever big billiards competition in the Visayas, among them is Cebu’s very own, Warren Kiamco, who have brought home several medals from the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and the World Championships. 

Kiamco will be joined by Carlo Biado, ranked fourth in the world and the World Pool 2017 champion; Jericho Bañares, 2015 MP 10-Ball Billiard Tournament champion; and Anton Raga, China Open second runner-up.

The event is organized by the Manny Pacquiao Promotions in cooperation with Cebu City, headed by its mayor, Edgar Labella, for the benefit of the Manny Pacquiao Foundation. 

Kiamco downplays his “homecourt” advantage saying that “marami ng magagaling dito, pero kaya ko pa naman (There has been a lot of good players coming from here but I can still do it.”

Kiamco, who graced the press conference to launch the event on Friday, October 3, at the Robinson’s Galleria, said that this tournament is a good start and that he hopes it will become an annual event.

“Magandang simula ito. Siguro magiging annual ito kung merong magsponsor, tapos mas maganda kung medyo madagdagan yong price  at ng makapag invite tayo ng magagaling na foreign players,” said Kiamco. 

(This is a good start. This may become annual if there will be sponsors who will come in, and it will be good if we can increase the price money so we can invite good foreign players.)

Kiamco was also joined by Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella who thanked Senator Pacquiao for holding the event in Cebu. 

“We thanked Senator Manny Pacquiao for coordinating, collaborating with us in this very laudable event,” said Labella. 

The Cebu City mayor acknowledged that Filipinos are basketball fanatics including him who used to play basketball in his college years at the University of San Carlos. 

However, he said that “we have to admit the fact that no matter how much we prepare for international tournaments, we can never compete with taller and much bigger opponents from the other countries.”

“But in billiards, history shows that we have produced world champions. And, we will produce champions from Cebu. That’s why we are encouraged to, and with the help of Sen. Manny Pacquiao, that we will have this tournament and I hope that there will be many more tournaments in billiards because this is one of the sports that we can produce champions, not only locally but also internationally,” said Labella.

The runner-up will get P200,000.

Those who will make it to the top 32 will get P5,000 each, and P10,000 each for those who can advance to the top 18.The top 8 will receive P30,000 while the top 4 will get P80,000 each./elb