Wu, Chang Sign Up for Puerto Cup

2005 double world champion Chia-Ching Wu and reigning Guinness 9-ball champion Jung-Lin Chang will lead a Taiwanese contingent of six players in the Puerto Princesa Mayor's Cup of the Philippine Pool Tour which begins on June 16.

This news was disclosed yesterday by Mr. Yung-Hui Tu, president of the Chinese Taipei Billiards Association, in a letter to the PPT organizing committee.

Organized by the Billiards & Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) and presented by San Miguel Corporation, the Puerto Princesa ten ball event will be hosted by Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn. It will take place in two stages: Stage 1 (Elimination Rounds) on June 16-17 at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City, and Stage 2 (Main Tournament) on June 19-22 at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum in the capital of Palawan.

The four other Taiwanese players are Pin-Yi Ko, the reigning 2007 world junior champion, Hui-chan Lu, Chun-Nan Kuo, and Chien-Te Chung. The 18-year-old Ko has had recent success playing in the big leagues. He won a tournament in Bangkok earlier this year, beating Filipino Dennis Orcullo in the finals. And he saw action at the recent World Poolmasters in Las Vegas.

The PPT organizing committee has awarded Wu and Chang PPT Tour Cards by virtue of their achievements as world and Asian champions. With the tour membership go automatic spots in Stage 2 of the PPT leg in Puerto Princesa on June 20-22.

Chung also earned a Stage 2 spot by virtue of his placing in the top 16 of the Mandaluyong Mayor's Cup last May 6-11.

Ko, Lu and Kuo will see action in Stage 1 of the tournament.

The Puerto Princesa Cup has a prize fund of $30,000. A top prize of $10,000 goes to the winner of the championship. Prizes are awarded up to 32nd place.

The tournament is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiards Union (APBU) and listed in the 2008 calendar of events of the World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA).