BILLIARDS aces from around the world will compete for fame and fortune in the cash-rich 46th All Japan Championship which gets underway on Nov. 12-18 at the Hotel New Archaic Hall in Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo, Japan.
As expected Filipino billiards masters Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan, Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo, Ronato “Volcano” Alcano, Carlo “The Black Tiger” Biado and Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza will spearhead the Philippine campaign.
Other notable cue masters seeing action in said tourney are Ramil “Bebeng” Gallego, Antonio “Nickoy” Lining, Jonas James Reyes, Warren “Warrior” Kiamco, Jundel “Jano” Mazon, Rodrigo “Edgie Marilao” Geronimo, Johann “Bubwit” Chua, Val Pajuay, Roel Esquillo and Jerome Andrino.
“Mabigat po y’ung All Japan Championship pero tinitiyak namin na lalaban kami ng husto,” said the 28-year-old Jonas James Reyes, who ruled the monthly Tiger Cup 10-ball tournament at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City last June.
“Gagawin po namin yung aming makakaya para sa bayan,” added Reyes who is a distant relative of Efren “Bata” Reyes. He also finished fourth in the 2013 POC-PSC Philippine National Games last May.
The tournament will feature defending champion Jung-Lin Chang of Taiwan, Kunihiko Takahashi of Japan, Mika Immonen of Finland, Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohman of Germany and Johnny Archer of the United States, among others.
Chang, a player from Bugsy International Promotions, cemented his status as the world’s topranked player after beating countryman Yang Ching-shun of Chinese-Taipei in the finals of the last year’s edition to secure the top prize of $28,600. Yang pocketed $14,300. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino