From the boxing ring, to the basketball court, and now to the pool table.
Manny Pacquiao, easily one of the most adored athletes in the world, is making things happen for Philippine sports.
After four years of absence, the World Ten Ball Championship- the biggest pool event in the world- will be back on Philippine soil as none other than the country’s sports hero is making it possible.
The World Pool-Billiard Association posted on its official website that Pacquiao has agreed to terms to bring back the pool event that was held nowhere but the Philippines.
The Philippines hosted the first three stagings of the event, but it was shelved for the past four years as organizer Raya Sports couldn’t continue running the event introduced in 2008.
The World Ten Ball Championship will be held in Pacquiao’s native province in General Santos City at the SM Activity Center from Feb. 15 to 21.
A two-day qualifying event will also be held to give others a chance to make the 128 players that will be competing and to join the former and current champions in different disciplines.
These players will compete for the total prize pool of $200,000 with the champion getting the lion’s share of $40,000.
During the inaugural staging of the event in 2008, Darren Appleton of Great Britain emerged victorious and was followed two years later by Mika Immonen of Finland, who defeated Lee Van Corteza of the Philippines in the finals.
Huidji See of the Netherlands was the last champion of the event before the WTBC took a respite.
