MANILA — Jeffrey De Luna and three other Filipino players advanced to the last 16 of the lucrative Qatar World Cup 10-Ball.
De Luna secured a hard-fought 11-10 win over Bader Alawadhif of the United Arab Emirates, earning a spot in the Round of 16 of the $450,000 tournament at the Ezdan Palace Hotel in Doha, Qatar.
He is joined by fellow Filipinos Arnel Bautista, Sean Mark Malayan, and Aivhan Maluto in the World Pool Association-sanctioned event, which offers $100,000 to the champion.
Bautista triumphed over compatriot Leonardo Hipolito, 11-9; Malayan defeated Poland’s Dominik Jastrząb, 11-5; and Maluto edged Hong Kong’s Fu Huan, 11-9.
However, Marlon Manalo’s impressive run ended with an 8-11 loss to Austria’s Mario He. After a long break, Manalo battled his way through the qualifiers and reached the last 32, showing he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.
“Fans can only hope to see more of the “Marvelous Captain” in future tournaments,” said 77. biliards in a post celebrating Manalo’s comeback.
The former cue artist and ex-chairman of Barangay Malamig in Mandaluyong City, also a former League of Barangays Press Relation Officer and ABC president, captivated the billiard world with his victories against pool legends like Yang Ching-shun of Taiwan, Efren “Bata” Reyes, and Francisco “Django” Bustamante in the 2004 World Pool Championship. MARLON BERNARDINO/PR
