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Great Britain?s cue masters showed better control of their nerves at crucial moments to score a smashing, 4-1 win over Team Philippines Sunday (Manila time) to rule the first-ever World Team Pool Cup Championship in Hannover, Germany.
The Britons, composed of reigning World 9-ball champion Daryl Peach, 2008 World Ten-Ball Champion Darren Appleton, Karl Boyes, Mark Gray and Imram Majid received $100,000, gold medals and a huge silver trophy.
The Filipinos, led by former world 9-ball and 8-ball champion Ronato Alcano, reigning International Predator 10-ball king Dennis Orcullo, former snooker champion Marlon Manalo, two-time BSCP National Pool titlist Lee Vann Corteza, Japan-based Antonio Lining and Southeast Asian Games 9-ball gold medalist Warren Kiamco, settled for the $50,000 runner-up prize.
Losing semifinalists Greece and Russia, on the other hand received $30,000 each in the inaugural 48-nation tournament sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association (WPA) which stakes $400,000 (roughly P19.2 million).
The Filipinos jumped off to a great start with a, 6-1 thrashing of the Britons in the first game of the 8-ball Scotch doubles event.
The Brits bounced back by winning the second 8-ball Scotch doubles, 6-1, to level the count at 1-all in the race-to-4 affair. Then Gray, Boyes and Appleton scored emphatic wins for Great Britain?s, 4-1 victory.
Gray downed Lining, 8-2, in the first 9-ball game, Boyes edged Corteza, 8-7, in the second 9-ball match then Appleton toppled Orcullo, 7-1, in the second 10-ball game.
Alcano was already leading 2-1 against Peach in the first 10-ball game but the match was halted after Appleton?s win.
?The RP team members did their best but fell short in the finals. Talagang maganda ang nilaro ng Great Britain,? said Bugsy Promotions president Ceferino ?Perry? Mariano.
The Pinoys barged into the final round unbeaten, while the Britons had to crawl back from the losers bracket.
On the road to the finals, the Filipinos beat England II (4-0), the Czech Republic (4-1), Norway (4-2), Poland (4-2) and Russia (4-1) to arrange a titular showdown with Great Britain, which downed Norway (5-1) lost to Sweden (4-2) then blanked Israel (4-0) and Germany (4-0) and edged China (4-3) and Greece (4-2).
BSCP vice-president Edgar Acaba was the RP Team?s team manager.
