$30,000 at stake in Enerva 9-ball

The Enerva Asian 9-ball Tour Ladies Championship unwraps today with two-time world champion Ga Young Kim of Korea and Filipina SEA Games double gold medalist Rubilen Amit heading the chase for the top $10,000 purse at the Robinson’s Galleria.

Others in the elite field are Jennifer Chen and Shin-Men Liu of Chinese-Taipei, Akimi Kajitani of Japan, Desak Kasih Aryati and Nova Floura Rachmawati of Indonesia, Pan Xiao Ting and Zhou Meng Meng of China, Chai Zeet Huey and Hoe Shu Wah of Singapore and Irish Rañola, another local bet raring to strut her wares in the $30,000 championship.

Games start at 1 p.m. and will be aired lived on IBC 13 and Solar Sports.

Winner of the World Women’s Championship the last two years, Kim will be the player to watch in the three-day event ending Friday but a host of other talented players will surely go all out to foil her bid, including Amit, who is expected to draw inspiration from the local crowd.

"I’ll just do my best," said the soft-spoken Amit on the eve of the event.

Meanwhile, Shiela Dela Cruz overcame Taiwanese Shu-Pin Kao, 7-5, yesterday to show the way in the one-day qualifying round of the event at the Paeng’s Skybowl at Robinson’s Galleria.

Cruz, playing out of Mandaluyong, pounced on her rival’s error in the fifth frame as she bounced back from two racks down to seize the initiative at 3-2 in the opener of the race-to-seven, double-elimination format event.

"She took the first two racks but I just stayed focused. It’s so nice to win this one," said the 29-year-old Dela Cruz, who finished third in the 2002 Asian 8-ball championship in Singapore ruled by Amit, in Filipino.

Dela Cruz faces Chihiro Kawahara of Japan in the second round of the elims.

Sixteen slots are up for grabs in the elims with the qualifiers advancing to the main event.

But while Dela Cruz flourished, the other Filipino aspirants — Johanna Dee, Bing Flores, Ces Marquez, Jargelyn Maldonado and Jingle David — lost their respective games.

Dee bowed to Chieh-Yu Chou of Chinese-Taipei, 3-7, Flores got ambushed by Angeline Magdalena Ticoalu of Indonesia, 1-7, Marquez got clobbered by Mika Muneta of Japan, 2-7, Maldonado was blanked by Hui-Shan Lai of Chinese-Taipei, and David lost to Masami Nouchi of Japan, 3-7.

Another local bet, Mary Ann Basas, was still playing with Hsiang-Ling Tan of Chinese-Taipei at presstime.

The other early winners were Sakiko Namiki of Japan, I-Yun Su, Yuan Chun Lin and Pei Chen Tsai of Chinese-Taipei, and Hyun-Ji Won of Korea.