Iloilo City , Philippines – Four-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Lee Van Corteza hopes to sustain his fiery form as he tries to become the first back-to-back champion in The Manny Villar Cup, which unfurls with its Iloilo leg today at the SM City here.
Corteza came up with a superb game that made him one of the top cue artists not just in the country but in the whole world as well to rule last May’s Calabarzon leg of this prestigious island-hopping series presented by Sen. Manny Villar’s Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports.
Sen. Villar will be on hand to deliver inspirational message and hit the ceremonial break of this ninth leg of the series now making a stop in his home province.
“Masayang-masaya ako na matapos ‘yung ilang chance ay nag-champion din ako sa wakas dito sa Villar Cup. Ngayon pipilitin ko naman maging kauna-unahang back-to-back champion dito, at kung magagawa ko ito ay isa itong napakalaking karangalan para sa akin,” said 30-year-old pride of Davao City.
“Alam kung napakahirap mag-champion sa Villar Cup dahil gaya nga ng sabi nung mga dating nag-champion, sa bigat ng mga kasali, parang world championship na ito. Pero kumpiyansa ako sa sarili ko na kaya ko,” he added.
To make it two in a row, Corteza must hurdle the challenge from 31 other pool masters, led by Efren “Bata” Reyes, along with former world No.1 Dennis Orcollo, two-time world champion Ronnie Alcano, and former leg winners Warren Kiamco (Alabang), Gandy Valle (Cebu), Ramil Gallego (Bulacan), Roberto Gomez (Davao and Isabela), Francisco “Django” Bustamante (Baguio) and Rodolfo Luat (Bacolod).
Also in the field are veteran internationalists Joven Bustamante and Godofredo Ducanes, as well as rising stars led by Rene Mar David, Mike Takayama, Michael Feliciano and Egie Geronimo, and newly-crowned Women’s World 10-Ball champion Rubilen Amit.
The remaining slots in the main draw of this tournament co-organized by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) headed by Atty. Vic Rodriguez and sanctioned by the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) will be awarded to the top six finishers in the qualifying tournament, which was also the Western Visayas Regional Villards Championship, held yesterday also at SM Iloilo.