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Ko Finally Fulfills The Dream

Taiwan’s Ko Pin Yi wins his first ever world title by capturing the 2015 World 10 Ball Championship with a dramatic 11-9 win over the Philippines Carlo Biado. By Ted Lerner/WPA Press Officer Photos Courtesy Dong Secuya/philboxing.com and Bob Guerrero (General Santos City, Philippines)–He’s always had plenty of promise. Now’s he’s reached the promised land. Ko Pin Yi, who twice in the mid-2000’s won the World Junior championship, today fulfilled the dream that everyone in the pool world knew was just a matter of time, capturing his first world title, the 2015 World 10-ball Championship, with a hard fought and dramatic 11-9 win over the Philippines Carlo Biado. A pool prodigy since his mid-teens, the 25 year old Taiwanese star has finally conquered the very best of the pool world, and now that he has his first world crown, nobody is in any doubt that he will soon grab plenty more. All week at the SM City mall in the southern Philippine city of General Santos, Ko displayed his amazing skills, combined with the kind […]

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Orcollo Pulls a Second Great Escape

The Philippines Dennis Orcollo wins his second straight 9-8 match in as many days to advance to the knockout stage of the 2015 World 10-ball Championship in General Santos City. By Ted Lerner/WPA Press Officer Photos Courtesy Dong Secuya/philboxing.com (General Santos City, Philippines)–Filipino pool players have a standard answer when asked by the media, “How did you play?” Even if they just played the greatest round of pool in the history of the sport, the comeback will invariably be a humble, “I’m just lucky.” World number 7 Dennis Orcollo is definitely not being humble today as he profusely thanks the pool gods for the good fortune he’s been the beneficiary of here in General Santos City in the southern Philippines. For the second straight day Orcollo pulled a great escape from what looked like sure defeat, winning 9-8 yet again, and advancing to the single elimination round of 64 at the 2015 World 10-ball Championship. Playing against Pampanga’s Roland Garcia, Orcollo looked to be cruising into the knockout stages with an 8-5 lead in the […]

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Striding, and Stumbling, Out of the Gates

Day 1 at the 2015 MP Cup World 10-ball Championship in General Santos City sees some favorites cruise while others struggle to find their form. By Ted Lerner/WPA Press Officer (General Santos City, Philippines)–One thing that is a constant in any world championship in the sport of pool is good old pressure. But as the 2015 MP Cup World 10-ball championship kicked off on Tuesday in the Philippines southernmost city of General Santos, it was not the usual nerve rattling pressure that makes grown men cry and brings back the fans time and again that was on display. It was, rather, that nagging pressure to get out of the gates quickly, to find that championship spark that can carry you to glory later in the week. “There’s two kind of pressure in these events,” said an obviously relieved Karl Boyes after he took down former world 9-ball champion Ronnie Alcano of the Philippines 9-7 in their first match of the group stages. “The first pressure is trying to get through the group stages, to just […]

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Manny Pacquiao to bring WPA World 10 Ball Championship to the Philippines in February

Boxing sensation ‚Pacman‘ teams up with the WPA to stage the return of pool’s hardcore title in his hometown of General Santos City. By Ted Lerner/WPA Press Officer Photo Courtesy Wendell Rupert Alinea (Manila, Philippines)–After a four year absence, the World 10-ball championship is back. And the man who made it happen is none other than the Philippines’ boxing sensation, Manny Pacquiao. The World Pool Billiard Association(WPA) is proud to announce that the World 10-ball Championship will take place from February 15-21, 2015 in Pacquiao’s hometown of General Santos City in the southern Philippines.  128 players from over 40 countries are expected in “Gen San” to compete for what will be one of professional pool’s biggest prizes this year. $200,000 will be up for grabs, with $40,000 going to the winner This will be just the fourth time the World 10-ball Championship has ever been contested. The event made its debut in Manila in 2008 and was won by England’s Darren Appleton. The following year in Manila, Finland’s Mika Immonen captured the event. After a […]