REIGNING double world champion Ronnie Alcano and Asian Games gold medalist Antonio “Gaga” Gabica will banner the Philippine cue sports team that would aim for at least eight gold medals in the coming 24th Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon Rachasima, Thailand.

The two will be joined by fellow multititled campaigners Lee Van Corteza, Dennis Orcollo and Marlon Manalo.

The other members of the team are veteran internationalists Reynaldo Grandea, James Al Mendoza and Benjie Guevarra, as well as Rodolfo Lordan and Emilio Villariza.

“This is a pretty strong team,” said Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) president Ernesto Fajardo yesterday after submitting the lineup to the Philippine SEA Games Task Force.

“We believe that we have assembled the best available talents, and we are confident that this team can duplicate, if not surpass, our previous performance in the SEA Games,” added Fajardo.

Alcano, Gabica, Corteza and Orcollo will be entered in the 8-ball and 9-ball events, while Manalo, Ortega, Guevarra and Lordan will see action in the snooker competitions. Grandea and Villariza will vie in English billiards and carom.

National team mainstays Rubilen Amit, Iris Ranola and Mary Ann Basas will carry the country’s campaign in the women’s side.

“Isang napakalaking karangalan na mapili ako para ma i-represent ang ating bansa d’yan sa SEA Games,” said Alcano, who rose to prominence after winning the World Pool Championship (WPC) last year. He also won the World 8-Ball Championship earlier this year.

“Gaya ng sinabi ko noon, espesyal sa akin ’yang SEA Games dahil bago ako naging world champion, ’yan ang pinakamalaki kong achievement at diyan ako unang nagkapangalan,” added Alcano, who won the gold in the 15-Ball Rotation singles and doubles events in 2005 SEAG.

Billiards is one of the major contributors to the Philippines’ overall championship romp in the 2005 edition of the 11-nation conclave with the team led by former world titlist Alex Pagulayan dominating the competition.

Pagulayan, who won the gold in the 8-ball singles, 9-ball double with Dennis Orcollo and the snooker team competition with Leonardo Andam and Joven Alba, was not included in the squad after having a spat with BSCP officials.

“Gagawin ko ulit lahat ng aking makakaya para bigyan ng karangalan ang bansa natin,” said Gabica, who won the 9-ball gold – and the 8-ball silver – in the Doha Asiad last December to help the Philippines post it best campaign in more than three decades in that quadrennial event.

Gabica also won a gold in the 2005 SEAG after he and Lee Van Corteza ruled the 8-ball doubles.

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REIGNING double world champion Ronnie Alcano and Asian Games gold medalist Antonio “Gaga” Gabica will banner the Philippine cue sports team that would aim for at least eight gold medals in the coming 24th Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon Rachasima, Thailand.

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