WINNER. Caviteño cue artist Jundel Mazon (center) wins the 1st Mayor Albee Benitez Masskara Billiards Tournament after a five-day competition at SM City Bacolod on Thursday night (Oct. 6, 2022). He received the champion’s prize of PHP350,000 from festival director Pinky Mirano-Ocampo (2nd from left) during the awarding rites held after the finals match. (Photo courtesy of Bacolod Yuhum Foundation)
BACOLOD CITY – Cavite’s Jundel Mazon, the 2010 Guinness World Series of Pool 10-Ball Challenge champion, captured the 1st Mayor Albee Benitez Masskara Billiards Tournament title after beating Bacolod-born Johann Chua in SM City here Thursday night.
The 46-year-old Mazon ruled the competition of 128 players, including Filipino legends Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante as well as cue artists from Indonesia and Japan.
He won the finals match against Chua, 9-5, to bring home a cash prize of PHP350,000, a trophy, a gold medal, and a gift pack from Mega Sports World.
Chua, the winner of 2017 All Japan 10-Ball Championship, where he also beat Mazon in the finals to bag the title, received PHP100,000 for his runner-up finish.
“It has been a successful five-day tournament. We are happy that we were able to bring in these legends that brought smiles, not only to billiards enthusiasts, but also to the people of Bacolod, who came in droves to watch the matches,” Masskara Festival director Pinky Mirano-Ocampo said in a statement on Thursday.
In the semifinals, Chua edged out Bustamante while Mazon defeated 2021 US Open Pool player Rodrigo Geronimo.
Bustamante and Geronimo received PHP50,000 each after placing third and fourth, respectively.
Others who made it to the Top 8 were Dean Mark Castronuevo, Bonnie Penticase, Jericho Bañares, and Jolo Aspuria, who received PHP15,000 each.
Reyes was eliminated on the fourth day after bowing to 15-year-old wonder boy AJ Manas, who also defeated veteran Warren Kiamco in the best of 32. (PNA)
