Marlon Manalo
Encyclopedia
Marlon Manalo is a Filipino
professional pool
player from Mandaluyong City
, Philippines
.
player, Manalo has represented the Philippines a number of times in the Asian Games
and Southeast Asian Games
. In the 2001 World Games, Manalo settled for a silver medal in the snooker event, placing second to Bjorn Haneveer
of Belgium.
His pro debut in pool was the Tirador Nine-ball Tournament in Manila
in 2003, surviving to the finals, but eventually losing to Warren Kiamco
. Weeks later, he competed in the Tirador Ten-ball Tournament. Again, he made it to the finals but lost to Ramil Gallego
.
The first pool tournament he won in the Philippines was the Corporate Billiards League, a tournament where a team of 3 players plays against another 3 in match. All the players were local but Marcus Chamat, a pool specialist from Sweden
, was in contention.
Nicknamed "Marvelous", the unassuming Manalo was definitely the surprise package of the 2004 WPC as he beat Yang Ching-shun
, Francisco Bustamante
and Efren Reyes
in successive matches before losing in the last eight to Marcus Chamat. Silky smooth in stroke, Manalo looked the complete player as he ran rack after rack against the most intimidating opponents. However, being the true Filipino
at heart, he could gain very little pleasure from dumping out national heroes like Reyes. Predominantly a snooker
player in a country with just four tables, Manalo has recorded green baize wins over tough opponents.
Manalo nearly won his first world title at the 2004 WPA World Eight-ball Championship
, but lost to his compatriot, Efren Reyes
.
But he has shown dominance in the US, especially in 2005. In that year, Manalo won a number of tournaments. The most important one he dominated was the short-lived Texas Hold'em Billiards Championship where he earned the large $100K winner-take-all purse.
Like Efren Reyes
who won a straight pool
toutnament in 1995, Manalo too dominated one, the 2005 New Jersey Straight Pool Open.
In 2006, Manalo could have been one of the first Philippine players, along with Dennis Orcollo, to compete in the World Straight Pool Championship
but withdrew to compete in another tournament in Bangkok
, Thailand
. That same year, he made it to the final of the IPT North American Eight-ball Open Championship. He was bested, however, by Thorsten Hohmann who won the mammoth $350K first prize. Manalo settle for $99K.
After he settled for second place in the 2007 Philippine National Championships to Lee Van Corteza
, Manalo won the title against Antonio Gabica a year later.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
professional pool
Pocket billiards
Pool, also more formally known as pocket billiards or pool billiards , is the family of cue sports and games played on a pool table having six receptacles called pockets along the , into which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. Popular versions include eight-ball and nine-ball...
player from Mandaluyong City
Mandaluyong City
The City of Mandaluyong is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the west by the country's capital, Manila, to the north by San Juan City, to the east by Quezon City and Pasig City, and by Makati City to the south...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Career
Originally a snookerSnooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player, Manalo has represented the Philippines a number of times in the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
and Southeast Asian Games
Southeast Asian Games
The Southeast Asian Games , is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia...
. In the 2001 World Games, Manalo settled for a silver medal in the snooker event, placing second to Bjorn Haneveer
Bjorn Haneveer
Bjorn Haneveer is a Belgian professional snooker player. Haneveer also commentates on snooker matches for Dutch Eurosport.-Career:...
of Belgium.
His pro debut in pool was the Tirador Nine-ball Tournament in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in 2003, surviving to the finals, but eventually losing to Warren Kiamco
Warren Kiamco
Warren Kiamco is a Filipino professional pool player from Cebu, Philippines. He is known for his performances in the South East Asian and Asian Games....
. Weeks later, he competed in the Tirador Ten-ball Tournament. Again, he made it to the finals but lost to Ramil Gallego
Ramil Gallego
Ramil Gallego is a Filipino professional pool player, nicknamed "Bebeng".As veteran player, Gallego has been competing in tournaments outside his homeland, mainly in Japan...
.
The first pool tournament he won in the Philippines was the Corporate Billiards League, a tournament where a team of 3 players plays against another 3 in match. All the players were local but Marcus Chamat, a pool specialist from Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, was in contention.
Nicknamed "Marvelous", the unassuming Manalo was definitely the surprise package of the 2004 WPC as he beat Yang Ching-shun
Yang Ching-shun
Yang Ching-shun is a Taiwanese professional pool player, nicknamed "the Son of Pool."Yang won the nine-ball event of the 1998 Asian Games against then World Pool champion Kunihiko Takahashi. He defended it in 2002 against Warren Kiamco...
, Francisco Bustamante
Francisco Bustamante
Francisco Bustamante is a Filipino professional pocket billiards player from Tarlac, and the 2010 World Nine-ball Champion., nicknamed "Django", after the lead character of the film of the same name, and sometimes also called "Bustie", especially in the United States.-Early life:Bustamante is the...
and Efren Reyes
Efren Reyes
Efren Manalang Reyes is a Filipino professional pool player and a two-time world champion. Reyes is considered by many to be the greatest all-around pool player in the history of the game. He is affectionately nicknamed "Bata" and "the Magician".-Early life:Reyes was born in Pampanga in 1954...
in successive matches before losing in the last eight to Marcus Chamat. Silky smooth in stroke, Manalo looked the complete player as he ran rack after rack against the most intimidating opponents. However, being the true Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
at heart, he could gain very little pleasure from dumping out national heroes like Reyes. Predominantly a snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player in a country with just four tables, Manalo has recorded green baize wins over tough opponents.
Manalo nearly won his first world title at the 2004 WPA World Eight-ball Championship
WPA World Eight-ball Championship
The WPA World Eight-ball Championship is a professional eight-ball pocket billiards tournament held in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, and sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association. A total of 64 participants compete in the event, which typically has a total prize purse over US$100,000...
, but lost to his compatriot, Efren Reyes
Efren Reyes
Efren Manalang Reyes is a Filipino professional pool player and a two-time world champion. Reyes is considered by many to be the greatest all-around pool player in the history of the game. He is affectionately nicknamed "Bata" and "the Magician".-Early life:Reyes was born in Pampanga in 1954...
.
But he has shown dominance in the US, especially in 2005. In that year, Manalo won a number of tournaments. The most important one he dominated was the short-lived Texas Hold'em Billiards Championship where he earned the large $100K winner-take-all purse.
Like Efren Reyes
Efren Reyes
Efren Manalang Reyes is a Filipino professional pool player and a two-time world champion. Reyes is considered by many to be the greatest all-around pool player in the history of the game. He is affectionately nicknamed "Bata" and "the Magician".-Early life:Reyes was born in Pampanga in 1954...
who won a straight pool
Straight Pool
Straight pool, also called 14.1 continuous or simply 14.1, is a pocket billiards game, and was the common sport of championship competition until overtaken by faster-playing games like nine-ball...
toutnament in 1995, Manalo too dominated one, the 2005 New Jersey Straight Pool Open.
In 2006, Manalo could have been one of the first Philippine players, along with Dennis Orcollo, to compete in the World Straight Pool Championship
World Straight Pool Championship
The World Straight Pool Championship is an annual pocket billiards competition held in New Brunswick, New Jersey, since 2006. It is the current global professional title for straight pool , and is organized by Dragon Promotions, in part to restore the game's popularity in the United States...
but withdrew to compete in another tournament in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. That same year, he made it to the final of the IPT North American Eight-ball Open Championship. He was bested, however, by Thorsten Hohmann who won the mammoth $350K first prize. Manalo settle for $99K.
After he settled for second place in the 2007 Philippine National Championships to Lee Van Corteza
Lee Van Corteza
Lee Vann Corteza is a Filipino professional pool player. He is nicknamed "Van Van", and started playing pool in 1993...
, Manalo won the title against Antonio Gabica a year later.
Achievements
- 2008 Philippine National Championship
- 2007 Seminole Florida Pro Tour Stop
- 2006 IPT North American Open 8-Ball Championship, Runner-up
- 2005 Texas Hold Em Billiards Championship
- 2005 NJ 14.1 Championship
- 2005 Hard Times 9-ball Winner
- 2005 Reno Open Champion
- 2005 WPC Second Runner-up
- 2004 Asian Games, Silver Medal Winner
- 2004 WPC, 5th Place
- 2004 World 8-Ball Championships, Runner-up
- 2004 World Pool Masters, 9th Place
- 2003 Corporate Billiards League
- 2003 WPC, 17th Place
- 2002 IBC Tokyo 9-Ball International, 5th Place
- 2001 World Games, Silver Medal Winner
- 2000 Asian Snooker, Champion
Trivia
- The surname Manalo is TagalogTagalog languageTagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, meaning "to win." - Not many pool players from the Philippines have graduated from college (some have not even completed high school). Manalo, however, has a degree in economicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. - Marlon Manalo was elected as Barangay Captain in his hometown of Mandaluyong City in the recently concluded October 2010 Barangay Elections.
External links
- http://www.azbilliards.com/thepros/2000showplayer2005.cfm?playernum=2555
- http://www.billiardster.com/players/marlonmanalo/