Alcano seeks title drought in UAE

Former double world champion Ronnie Alcano returns to the site of his last triumph as he joins Roberto Gomez and Gandy Valle in the hunt for the $10,000 top purse at the start of the Ra­madan 9-Ball Invitational Cham­pionship starting Wednesday in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Alcano has not won a tourna­ment since topping the 2007 World 8-Ball Championship in Fujairah. “It was there in Fujairah where I last won a title,” said Alcano in Filipino. “So I hope it will also be there where I will start winning again.”

On the other hand, Gomez and Valle hope to capitalize on their recent wins in the Manny Villar Cup. After a string of runner-up finiishes, Gomez won the Villar Cup’s Davao leg last month while Valle ruled the Cebu leg in June. “I hope to continue the momentum I’ve got from my Villar Cup victory,” said the 29-year-old Gomez, who rose to prominence after his runner-up finish in the 2007 World Pool Championship. The three Filipinos, whose campaign is sup­ported by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philip­pines (BMPAP) and Vil­lards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports, were personally invited by the organizers of the five-day event. “I hope I could win more tournaments before 2008 ends,” said Valle, also the runner-up to Gomez in the Davao Leg.