Rising pool junior pool champ.

Rising pool star the 19-year-old Banares, who beat twice former World 9-ball champ Thorsten Hohmann of German last year will spearheaded the Filipino campaign cue in the event dubbed as”Showdown @ Megamall” with the champion receiving the top prize money US$20,000 and a slot for this year’s World Ten ball.

” Basta maglalaro lamang tayo. Ibibigay ko ang aking best,” said Banares, during the press conference yesterday hosted by Raya Sports president and BSCP chairman Yen Makabenta.
Also includes in yesterday’s pressconference are BSCP officials Jun Diokno, Edgar Acaba and Emanuel Argonza, Filipino cue artists Marlon Manalo, Jeffrey de Luna, Demosthenes Pulpul and 15-year-old Jonas Magpantay.

The second, third and fourth placers gets US$10,000, and US$ 5,000, respectively. Prizes will be awarded up to 32nd place according to the organizing committee Raya Sports headed by Yen Makabenta in close cooperation with the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) led by long-time billiards patron Sebastian “Baste” Chua, also the president of the famous Star Billiards Center in this jointly event sanctioned by WPA, Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU) and BSCP.

Other Filipinos in the inaugural Philippine Open Pool Championship are Acaba, Alan Cuartero, Arnel Bautista, Resty Labastida, Jestoni Magadia, Archie Padal, Elvis Calasang, Oliver Villafuerte, Leonardo Didal, Elmer kalaquian, Luis Saberdo, Marvin Tapia, Mario Tolentino and Cebuano star Antonio Gabica, the Doha Asiad gold medallist.

The event which features some of the world best that includes World Ten Ball champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain, WPA world No.1 player Ralf Souquet of Germany, two-time World Junior champion Ko Pin Yi of Chinese-Taipei, current US open champion and former world champion Mika Immonen of Finland, current US No. 1 Shane Van Boening and Billiards Congress of America (BCA) Open 9-Ball women’s champion Jasmin Ouschan of Austria, Karen Corr and Julie Kelly of Ireland and Kelly Fisher of Great Britain.

Jericho Bañares of Antipolo City is the new Philippine junior pool champion, the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines announced in a press statement issued on Monday. Bañares bagged the 2nd BSCP Junior Pool Championship title with a 13-8 win over John Carlo Cerna of Pasay City in the finals of the tournament held Sunday night at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City.