Team Philippines thrills fans despite losing effort in World Cup of Pool

Posted at 4:40 pm September 13, 2010

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By Joel Pinaroc

MANILA CITY, MANILA—Despite the home court advantage, Team Philippines lost to a superior Team China at the 2010 World Cup of Pool held at the Robinson’s Place here on Sunday.

Filipino pro players Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo and Roberto “Superman” Gomez trailed China’s Fu Jianbo and Li Hewen throughout the match eventually losing 10 to 5 in a race-to-10 championship format.

But the 3,000 to 5,000 or so fans at the Robinson’s Place got a treat after Orcullo and Gomez, the unheralded Philippine Team B, played magnificently all the way to the semis where the duo faced highly-fancied and tournament favorite Taiwan.

Early on, defending World Cup champions Francisco “Django” Bustamante, and Efren “Bata” Reyes, Team Philippines A, lost to Team Indonesia in a huge upset, leaving Orcullo and Gomez to continue the country’s quest for another team championship.

The semifinals match saw numerous momentum shifts between Team Philippines B and Team Taiwan where both teams displayed exceptional shot-making abilities and safety plays.

During most of the close match, Orcullo and Gomez were seen giving each other high-fives and chest bumps to the delight of the home crowd. Orcullo and Gomez eventually won a come-from-behind 9-8, after a critical miss by one of the Taiwanese players.

The dramatic semifinals victory however, proved to be Orcullo’s and Gomez’s final hurrah before succumbing to Team China in the finals.

The Filipino duo, playing as teammates for the first time, received a well-earned round of the applause from the thousands of fans for their brave, but losing effort.

Photos from billiardphilippines.com and pinoysports.com.

Team Philippines thrills fans despite losing effort in World Cup of Pool

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