Pinoy pool aces blank Croatia, tops group A

FILIPINO billiards aces Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo and Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit came together as one solid unit Tuesday night to blank Team Croatia made up by Ivica Putnik, Bozo Primic, Carlo Calmatin and Zrinka Antonijevic to top Group A in Day 3 of the 2012 World Pool Team Championships in Beijing, China.

The Pinoys are employing a unique strategy in all their matches, putting Reyes only in doubles matches, both the 8-ball and 10-ball.

“Expect the Pinoy team to continue down this path as they’ve barely been touched so far,” said American journalist and commentator Ted Lerner, spokesman and publicist of the World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA).

Backed billiards God Father Aristeo “Putch” Puyat and sportsman/businessman Ceferino “Perry” Mariano, the Philippines earlier beat Indonesia, 4-2, made up by Ricky Wang, Isral Afrinneza Nasution, Muhammad Zulfikri and Amand Rahayu and Estonia of Erki Erm, Joonas Saska, Mark Magi and Anna Grintosuk, 5-1.

Yesterday’s Final 16 round was a virtual who’s who in the world of pool with Chinese-Taipei, China 2, the Philippines, China 1, Japan and Great Britain in the roster.

The Philippines battled Team Norway of Roger Rasmussen, Mats Schjetne, Matey Ullah and Ine Helvik for a seat in the quarter-finals.

The $300,000 tournament awards $80,000 to the winning team while the second placer picks up $40,000.