Chang, Orcollo top WPA rankings
As expected Bugsy International Promotions top bets Chang Jung Lin of Chinese-Taipei and Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines topped the latest World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) rankings.
Chang topped the list with 1,681 points, 850 of those coming from his championship run in the 2012 World 8-Ball Championship in Fujairah last February where he beat compatriot Fu Che Wei, 11-6, in the finals. Chang earned $20,000 in the event while Fu took home $15,000.
Orcollo ranked 2nd with 1,620 points. The former fisherman from Bislig, Surigao del Sur won the 2012 China Open Men’s title last September in Shanghai, China worth $40,000. Then last month, he finished second in the tough 2012 US Open 9-ball Championship in Virginia, USA.
“But the way he’s (Orcollo) playing as of late, he is surely in hot pursuit for the No. 1 spot in the WPA ratings list,” said Bugsy International Promotions top honcho Ceferino “Perry” Mariano.
Van Boening, who is currently No. 24 in the list with 667 points, dominated the 2012 Player Money List with $134,780 in total earnings followed by Darren Appleton of Great Britain ($93,134) and Orcollo ($91,350). Appleton who won this year’s World 9-ball in Doha, Qatar last June is No. 3 in the world rankings with 1,584 points.
According to the official website of the WPA, tournaments listed for the rankings are the 2011 All Japan Championship, 2012 World 8-ball Championship, 2012 World 9-ball Championship, 2012 China Open and 2012 US Open 9-ball. The other ranking tournament is the World Ten-ball Championship scheduled this month but was scrapped.
Other cue masters who made it to the Top 10 list are No. 4 Ko Pin-Yi of Chinese-Taipei (1,535 points), No. 5 Li Hewen of China (1,489), No. 6 Ralf Souquet of Germany (1,281), No. 7 Fu Che-wei of Chinese-Taipei (1,263), No. 8 Yukio Akagariyama of Japan (1,243), No. 9 Liu Haitao of China (1,223) and No. 10 Thorsten Hohmann of Germany (1,048).
Meanwhile, Lee Vann Corteza (929) landed at No. 14, Roberto Gomez at No. 20 (695), Carlo Biado at No. 23 (672), Alex Pagulayan (590) was tied at No. 28 with Toru Kuribayashi of Japan, Hall of Famer Efren “Bata” Reyes at No. 33 (535), Antonio Gabica at No. 35 (500) and Ronato Alcano at No. 48 (409).
