Conspiracy or Reintegration? You decide!!

"Rumors of conspiracy to doom chances of Filipino players started to circulate even before the tournament started. Six marquee players from the country were bunched on the same group namely Efren 'Bata' Reyes, Francisco 'Django' Bustamante, Jose 'Amang' Parica, Lee Van Corteza, Warren Kiamco and [Ronnie] Alcano."
Source, Tempo, Alcano's historic bid dashed, 22 October, 2007

It was a day of dread for Filipinos everywhere, especially for those in the billiards circuit.

Ronnie Alcano succumbed to consecutive bad breaks, leaving his opponent Shane Van Boening, who seemed to have Ronnie's number, to feed off the untouched leftovers and score a 13-10 victory, clinching the 32nd US Open 9-ball crown and derailing the Pinoy's hopes of achieving history in becoming the first person to win the World Pool Championships, World 8-ball Championships and the previously mentioned tourney at the same season.

While bad breaks are a fixture in a sport of skill and luck, Alcano's dry spells were all the more suspicious, as he was unable to pocket a single ball for six turns, certainly unexpected for someone who thoroughly decimated every player he faced prior to te finals (except for, coincindentally, Van Boening).

Talks of match-fixing connived by the hometown refs loomed among [Pinoy] pool advocates, as it is ultimately unlikely for someone of Alcano's calibre to miss consecutive shots, considering the fact that his victories in the tourney constituted of convincing routs.

Hmm. All the more reason to believe that the powers that be of international pool are doing their darn best to inhibit the Filipino's success in a sport that has been relagated to a social pastime, a tambay's game if you will, in our country.

Translation: 'Di yata't dinadaya na tayo ng buong mundo.

Or is it really, pandaraya?

The worldwide supremacy of our countrymen in pool is well-documented, thanks mainly to hall of famer 'Bata,' whose unwaivering dominance over the billiards table paved the way for more Filipino cuemasters to come out of their shells and strut their wares on the international stage. With more of our kababayans making their presence felt with the cue ball, it's safe to assume that pool has become Juan de la Cruz' sport, much like Uncle Sam's basketball.

While we continually brag about our country's vice grip on the sport, the powers that be of international pool are left to witness the Pinoy horde, relentlessly trampling their unwary foes. Perhaps the world is seeing too much red, white, blue and yellow. And that familiar toothless smile. Too much that the powers that be had to do something about it.

Bottomline: If I were to organize a pool tournament, I'd group as much Filipinos as I could in the same bracket and have them face each other as early as possible because there is too much talent among our Filipino cuemasters that the world can't handle. Case in point- despite the fact that six of our country's best players were pitted in the same bracket and consequently were forced to eliminate each other in the early parts of the US Open, a Filipino was still able to reach the finals and nearly walked away with 50 grand.

In the meantime, I'll give the referees who racked up the balls during the US Open finals the benefit of the doubt. Right now, let's give it to the Rest of the World for beating the proud Pinoys this time. We are going to win the war anyway.