After competing for the series of billiard championships last year, all the cue players have not bring to an end their passion for the craft and even prepare for the upcoming pool competitions ahead of time, it’s just at the top of their list. And now what awaits them has been set forth. The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) is pleased to announce that the next World 9-Ball Championship will happen in Doha, Qatar starting June 25 until July 5, 2010. Invitations will be done according to WPA rankings and via the WPA members and should commence during the spring of 2010. Expect in the entourage the names of the top professional players like Efren Bata Reyes, Ralf Souquet, Mika Immonen, Django Bustamante, and the rest of the high profiled pool players. Qualifiers for this contest will compete from the 25^th to 27^th of June in Doha. All successful cue players will battle from June 28 for eliminations all the way to July 05 for the championship.  The prize fund for this initial appearance and in 2011 in Qatar is $250,000 and will increase to $300,000 for both 2012 and 2013.

Meet Ronato Alcano, recently nicknamed “The Volcano”, a native of Calamba, Laguna, who won the 2006 WPA Men’s World Nine-ball Championship at age 34. He defeated Ralf Souquet of Germany. He is also the 3rd Filipino to win the championship – Efren Reyes in 1999 and Alex Pagulayan in 2004. In 2007, Alcano bagged the WPA World Eight-ball Championship by defeating his compatriot Dennis Orcollo in the final match 11-8. Also on the 11^th of December 2007 Ronato Alcano won the Philippines’ 31st gold medal in the 24th Southeast Asian Games Men’s 8-Ball Pool Singles at the Sima Thani Hotel Grand Ballroom. These are just few of his achievements in the billiard sports. Who would have thought, that the poor guy from Laguna, and just an elementary graduate will be given so much recognition for his contribution as a champion pool icon. Alcano is now in the peek of his career and still continues to exhibit his mastery of the sports.