Villar tapped for Laos billiards team

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s top cue artists are pushing for Sen. Manny Villar to be the team manager of the RP team competing in the SEA Games in Laos in December.

“Our national players want Sen. Villar to be part of the team to SEA Games,” said Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) president Vic Rodriguez. “We know that he has a very hectic schedule, but he said he will try to find time to join the team.”

Sen. Villar is the chief backer of RP billiards with his nationwide Manny Villar Cup circuit which features the likes of Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante, the spearheads of the RP team to the Laos Games.

In fact, Sen. Villar has offered additional cash incentives for gold, silver and bronze medalists from the 16-player “Dream Team” that will see action in the biennial meet.

Rodriguez said Villar is pushing for the incentive scheme – P100,000 for gold, P75,000 for silver and P50,000 for bronze. 

“This is to further motivate our players to give their best in the SEA Games,” said Villar. “This is my little way of helping our country succeed in the SEA Games.”

The Manny Villar Cup, which kicked off in May 2008, consisted of 10 legs – in Alabang, Cebu, Bulacan, Davao, Bacolod, Baguio, Isabela, Calabarzon, Iloilo and again in Davao last August.

The series was to hold another leg last month but Sen. Villar decided to cancel it to help in the relief and rescue operations in areas affected by two typhoons

Meanwhile, the Manny Villar Cup will stage the National Open Championship next month with 128 players vying for P1 million purse.