Bata wins in Poland

Fresh from his record-breaking $160,000 triumph in the Tokyo International Tournament the week before, Efren "Bata" Reyes continued his magical stretch by ruling the nine-man Pokermillion.com World Pool League title and the $15,000 top prize on November 18 at the University of Warsaw in Poland.

After a gripping semifinal against compatriot Django Bustamante, which he narrowly took 7-6, Reyes dueled British snooker legend Steve Davis, the winner in the other semis over World Pool champion Mika Immonen.

Reyes played a virtually error-free match racing to a 4-1 lead but the Englishman utilized his patented defensive cunning to tie 5-5. But the Filipino waxed hot taking advantage of Davis mistakes and ran out the next four racks with spectacular shots, winning the contest 9-5.

Before the cash-rich Tokyo meet, Reyes primed for the competition with a smooth victory over US pool ace Jeanette Lee in a much-hyped affair at the Casino Filipino in Paranaque City.

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Bacolod City hosts Batang Pinoy

Bacolod City is the venue of the 3rd edition of the Philippine National Youth Games - Batang Pinoy Program set December 1-7, 2001 at the Panaad Sports Stadium and Recreational Park in Bacolod City.

Batang Pinoy, the centerpiece grassroots sports development program of the Philippine Sports Commission, was first staged in Bacolod City in 1999 also at the 25-hectare Panaad Complex where the country's top age-group athletes competed in athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, dance sport, football, gymnastics, karatedo, tennis, little league baseball, softball, swimming, taekwondo and volleyball.

Unlike the Palaro and the CHED Games, which are both school-based sports program pitting top athletes from the elementary to collegiate levels, Batang Pinoy provides a competitive arena to players within their age-group, an approach proven successful in the countries that are emerging as sports powers like China, Korea and Japan.

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Athletes file raps vs PSC chief

The Athletes and Coaches Alliance of the Philippines (ACAP) through its president Jaime Sebastian has filed complaints against Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Carlos Tuason at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Sebastian, a former weightlifter and the most bemedalled SEA Games athlete, by way of ACAP, charged that Tuason did not only violate RA 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, but also RA 6847 or the law which created the PSC.

In sworn affidavits, Sebastian alleged that Tuason and possibly others "manipulated and gained" from three major deals entered into by the PSC "under the guise of helping improve sports facilities."

The complaints are a reflection of the crumbling state of sports leadership in the Philippines, which contribute largely to the wasted dreams of Filipino athletes in international competitions.

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Japan, South Korea all set for World cup 2002

After two-time champion Uruguay clinched the final berth with a 3-1 aggregate thrashing of Australia in the second leg play off in Montivideo, Japan and South Korea, the host nations of the 32nd World Cup, are already geared up for the one-month staging of the greatest spectacle on earth which will unveil in the South Korean capital Seoul on May 31.

The draw for the 32 qualified countries was held in a pompous ceremony in Pusan, South Korea on December 1, broadcast live to more than 1 billion people worldwide. The first Asian World Cup and the first to be jointly hosted by two nations will be played in 20 resplendent state of the art stadiums, 10 in each country. The final will take place in Yokohama, Japan on June 30.

While both South Korea and Japan worked extremely hard to have their stadiums, infrastructures and security ready on time, their national teams are heading in different directions. Japan has overtaken South Korea as Asia's topside, and under French Coach Philippe Troussier, they have improved significantly over the last two years.

South Korea, on the other hand, under Dutch Coach Guus Hiddink may be in danger of becoming the first host nation to fail to progress beyond first round. Although homecourt advantage will benefit both countries, entering the second phase of the competition will be already quite an achievement.

Based on present form and line-up, France and Argentina are head and shoulders above all national sides, but nothing is given in football, so upsets and surprises will be plenty as weather conditions and the overwhelming atmosphere could have big influences on the outcome of some games.

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