The 1st National Juniors 10 Balls Billiards Challenge is set from May 22 to 28 at the Celebrity Billiard Hall at 22nd Lacson Street, Bacolod City.

About 800 competitors are expected to play in the 16-Under event that is open to all players who are in-school, Art Puentevella, secretary-general of the Negros Occidental Billiards and Snooker Association, said in a press conference at the Apollo Restaurant yesterday.

"Drop-outs and out of school youth are not allowed to see action in the tournament because we want to promote sports and education at the same time," George Martir of The Liaison Officers Association of the League of Cities of the Philippines, said.

LOA sponsors the tournament that is sanctioned by the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines and supervised by NOBSA.

Players in the competitions that will adopt the international rules of nine-ball will not need residency requirements, NOBSA president Allan Gaston said.

The top eight players from each group in the first round, which has adopted a race to four-double elimination format, will advance to the round of 64 that will be a race to seven-double elimination round. The top four competitors in the second round will earn semifinal slots.

The semifinals will be a race to nine contest with the winners in their respective encounters advancing to a race to 11 championship match.

Puentevella said the tournament will be a joint trial and error project of BSCP and NOBSA because they want to develop 10-ball billiards in the grassroots level of the Philippines.

If the tournament succeeds, BSCP will hold it annually and the different cities and municipalities in the country will bid for the hosting of the national event, Gaston said.

Players should be born 1990-up to be qualified for the tournament. They should also present their identification card from school year 2005-2006, birth certificate, parental waiver and form 137 for verification.

Registration fee for each team, composed of two players, is pegged at P5,000.

The champion will be given P75,000, while the first, second and third runners-up will receive P45,000, P20,000 and P10,000, respectively. The top four winners will also be given trophies.

Interested parties who wish to inquire about the tournament may contact Puentevella at mobile number 09173015666. *CIT

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