MANILA -- A total of 19 Filipinos are set to vie for the prestigious World Ten Ball Championship (WTBC) when it takes first rack Wednesday at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Former double world champion (WPA 9-ball and 8-ball champion) Ronato “Volcano” Alcano and reigning International Predator 10-ball champion Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo will spearhead the Filipinos campaign in the 128 player-field main draw, which offers $60,000 to the champion.

“Masayang-masaya ako at nakasali ulit tayo, hope Filipino ang manalo dito sa WTBC,” said Orcollo during Tuesday’s press conference at the Heritage Hotel in Manila.

Other Filipino bets in the main draw are Marlon Manalo, Lee Vann Corteza, Warren Kiamco, Demosthenes "Plong-Plong" Pulpul, Antonio Gabica, Jeffrey De Luna, Jerico Banares, Carlo Biado and Allan Cuartero and qualifiers Ramil “Bebeng” Gallego, Michael Feliciano, Roberto Gomez, Jundel Mazon, Emil Martinez, Antonio Lining, Steve Villamil and Jomar de Ocampo.

BSCP, BMPAP bury hatchet

In a related development, Raya Sports chairman and BSCP chairman Florentino “Yen” Makabenta and BMPAP founding chair Ceferino “Perry” Mariano have mended fences to end the stand off between the two billiard groups.

Makabenta and Mariano shook hands in front of other local officials, guests, players and media during the press conference.

Last year, the BMPAP group led by Mariano, Jonathan Sy and Putch Puyat boycotted the staging of the inaugural of WTBC, which was topped by Great Britain’s Darren Appleton.

Mariano, the owner of Bugsy Promotions, and Sy, the head of the rising Negros Billiard Stable, participated in this year’s WTBC.

However, the star-studded Puyat Sports stable failed to participate because of “varying reasons”.

Among the pool artists that compete for the Puyat Sports stable are Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante and reigning Women’s World Ten Ball champion Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit.

“All of our top guns are competing,” Makabenta said. “There’s a good chance that we’re going to have another Filipino world champion.” By Marlon Bernardino