Ronato Alcano
Encyclopedia
Ronato Alcano (born 27 July 1972 in Calamba City
, Laguna
, Philippines
), is a Filipino
professional pool
player, nicknamed "Ronnie Calamba" and "the Volcano".
Alcano's recognitions in the Philippines begin with his performances at the 2000 Rising Stars Tournament. By the final, he was highly favored to win the title, yet in the final match (a to 13), Alcano lost to Edgar Acaba by just a rack short, 13-12. Despite having a 12-7 advantage, Alcano missed while only three balls away. Acaba then returned to the table and won the needed 6 racks in a row to win the match and the title.
In 2002, Alcano began to make a name for himself, and began competing in major events in the US. He won five tournaments in the Joss Tour and was awarded Rookie of the Year for 2002 by azbilliards.com.
Alcano returned to the East, for the 2005 WPA Asian Nine-ball Tour, winning the Manila
tournament (11-6 versus Yang Ching-shun
), and qualifying for the world championship.
Coming in as an underdog, Alcano upset German
Ralf Souquet
in the finals, 17 to 11 at the 2006 WPA Men's World Nine-ball Championship
. ESPN
commentator Gerry Forsyth said, "the only way to stop Alcano is to put a rattlesnake in his pocket, then ask him for a match" about Alcano's performance. He thus became the second Filipino (excluding 2004 winner Alex Pagulayan
, as he represented Canada
at that time) to become World Champion in this event after Efren Reyes won the title in 1999. In the November 2006 tournament, Alcano had been on the brink of elimination in group play before taking advantage of a soft break. He won just 1 of 3 group matches and scraped through as the 64th and final seed. Alcano then defeated local favorite Reyes and defending champion Wu Chia-ching
in the knockout stages, proceeding to the final. For winning the tournament, Alcano won US$
100,000 which is the largest first prize ever won in the world nine-ball championship.
In 2007, Alcano won the WPA World Eight-ball Championship
by defeating his compatriot Dennis Orcollo in the final match 11-8.
On 16 September 2007, Alcano finished second to Antonio Gabica in the Philippine Nine-ball Open.
In an attempt to defend his title at the 2007 World Nine-ball Championship, Alcano was bested in the last 64 by Daryl Peach
of the United Kingdom
who ultimately won the title.
On 11 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.
On 25 April 2008, Ronnie Alcano lost his title at the World 8-Ball Championships in Fujairah
City, United Arab Emirates
. Germany's Ralf Souquet
won the $ 60,000 championship prize, 13-9 final score.
On 26 October 2008, Alcano lost to Mika Immonen
in the $250,000 33rd US Open Nine-ball Championship
, where 237 billiards players competed in Chesapeake, Virginia
. Mika claimed the 13-7 victory against Alcano, who settled for $20,000.
of his 14-year-old daughter and with violation of the Anti-Child Abuse Law (Section 5 of Republic Act 7610) before the Quezon City
Regional Trial Court. The case was filed after Assistant City Prosecutor Corazon Romano who recommended a total bail of P
400,000 ($8,743) for both charges. Alcano denied the allegations, saying the girl was only after his money. He filed a perjury case against his daughter and her mother. But judge Fiscal Romano found in favor of his child. Alcano’s daughter alleged three incidents of sexual assault of a minor
happened on 25 November 2006 and on the first week of December 2006. She alleged that Alcano touched her private parts, made lewd gestures in front of her, and put his hand on her private parts while they were lying on the bed with Gwendolyn, Alcano's partner. On 23 July 2007, Alcano posted a bail bond of P80,000 – 20 percent of the initial bail recommendation.
Calamba City
Calamba City is a first class component city located in the province of Laguna, Philippines. Situated only 54 kilometers south of Manila, about an hour by chartered bus, Calamba City is a popular tourist destination with its hot spring resorts, most of the resorts are located in Barangay Pansol...
, Laguna
Laguna province
Laguna is a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is located southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna almost completely surrounds Laguna de Bay,...
, 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...
), is a 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 ....
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, nicknamed "Ronnie Calamba" and "the Volcano".
Career history
After graduating in elementary school, Alcano didn't proceed to high school due to financial problems. He then opted to play pool for a living.Alcano's recognitions in the Philippines begin with his performances at the 2000 Rising Stars Tournament. By the final, he was highly favored to win the title, yet in the final match (a to 13), Alcano lost to Edgar Acaba by just a rack short, 13-12. Despite having a 12-7 advantage, Alcano missed while only three balls away. Acaba then returned to the table and won the needed 6 racks in a row to win the match and the title.
In 2002, Alcano began to make a name for himself, and began competing in major events in the US. He won five tournaments in the Joss Tour and was awarded Rookie of the Year for 2002 by azbilliards.com.
Alcano returned to the East, for the 2005 WPA Asian Nine-ball Tour, winning the 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,...
tournament (11-6 versus 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...
), and qualifying for the world championship.
Coming in as an underdog, Alcano upset German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Ralf Souquet
Ralf Souquet
Ralf Souquet is a German professional pool player. His nicknames are "The Kaiser" and "The Surgeon." Since 1981, he has won more than 250 tournament titles, including 41 German Championship titles and 34 European Championship titles.He began playing billiards at the age of six in his parents'...
in the finals, 17 to 11 at the 2006 WPA Men's World Nine-ball Championship
WPA World Nine-ball Championship
The WPA World Nine-ball Championship is an annual, international, professional nine-ball pool tournament, founded in 1990, sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association , and principally sponsored and organised by Matchroom Sport...
. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
commentator Gerry Forsyth said, "the only way to stop Alcano is to put a rattlesnake in his pocket, then ask him for a match" about Alcano's performance. He thus became the second Filipino (excluding 2004 winner Alex Pagulayan
Alex Pagulayan
Alejandro Salvador Pagulayan, is a Filipino Canadian professional pool and snooker player. His nicknames are "the Lion" and "the Killer Pixie". He was born in Cabagan, Isabela, Philippines and was raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
, as he represented Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at that time) to become World Champion in this event after Efren Reyes won the title in 1999. In the November 2006 tournament, Alcano had been on the brink of elimination in group play before taking advantage of a soft break. He won just 1 of 3 group matches and scraped through as the 64th and final seed. Alcano then defeated local favorite Reyes and defending champion Wu Chia-ching
Wu Chia-ching
Wu Jia-Qing is a professional pool player. He is nicknamed the Taishan Shentong . Previously known as Wu Chia-Ching , he changed his name upon moving to China....
in the knockout stages, proceeding to the final. For winning the tournament, Alcano won US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100,000 which is the largest first prize ever won in the world nine-ball championship.
In 2007, Alcano won the 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...
by defeating his compatriot Dennis Orcollo in the final match 11-8.
On 16 September 2007, Alcano finished second to Antonio Gabica in the Philippine Nine-ball Open.
In an attempt to defend his title at the 2007 World Nine-ball Championship, Alcano was bested in the last 64 by Daryl Peach
Daryl Peach
Daryl Peach is an English professional pocket billiards player. Nicknamed "Razzledazzle" and "the Dazzler," he defeated the Philippines' Roberto Gomez in 2007 to become the first English male to win the WPA World Nine-ball Championship...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
who ultimately won the title.
On 11 December 2007, Ronato Alcano won the 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...
' 31st gold medal in the 24th 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...
Men’s 8-Ball Pool Singles at the Sima Thani Hotel Grand Ballroom.
On 25 April 2008, Ronnie Alcano lost his title at the World 8-Ball Championships in Fujairah
Fujairah
Fujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, and the only one on the Gulf of Oman in the country's east instead of Persian Gulf .-History:...
City, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. Germany's Ralf Souquet
Ralf Souquet
Ralf Souquet is a German professional pool player. His nicknames are "The Kaiser" and "The Surgeon." Since 1981, he has won more than 250 tournament titles, including 41 German Championship titles and 34 European Championship titles.He began playing billiards at the age of six in his parents'...
won the $ 60,000 championship prize, 13-9 final score.
On 26 October 2008, Alcano lost to Mika Immonen
Mika Immonen
Mika Immonen is a Finnish professional pool player, nicknamed "the Ice Man."He won the WPA World Nine-ball Championship in Cardiff, Wales in 2001. That same year, he was the runner-up to Corey Deuel in the US Open Nine-ball ChampionshipHe has represented Team Europe on thirteen occasions in the...
in the $250,000 33rd US Open Nine-ball Championship
US Open Nine-ball Championship
The U.S. Open Championships is an annual professional pool tournament that began in 1976 at Q-Master Billiards in Norfolk, Virginia. Today, it is held in the Chesapeake Conference Center, Chesapeake, Virginia...
, where 237 billiards players competed in Chesapeake, Virginia
Chesapeake, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile . There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3 per square mile...
. Mika claimed the 13-7 victory against Alcano, who settled for $20,000.
Nicknames and monickers
During his early days of competing in the Philippines, Alcano was nicknamed "Calamba" which is a reference to his hometown in the country (see above). But when he started participating in US-based tournaments, some commentators mispronounce his last name as al-kay-no. Thus, the nickname "Volcano" was addressed.Legal controversy
Alcano was charged on 12 July 2007 with rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
of his 14-year-old daughter and with violation of the Anti-Child Abuse Law (Section 5 of Republic Act 7610) before the Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
Regional Trial Court. The case was filed after Assistant City Prosecutor Corazon Romano who recommended a total bail of P
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
400,000 ($8,743) for both charges. Alcano denied the allegations, saying the girl was only after his money. He filed a perjury case against his daughter and her mother. But judge Fiscal Romano found in favor of his child. Alcano’s daughter alleged three incidents of sexual assault of a minor
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
happened on 25 November 2006 and on the first week of December 2006. She alleged that Alcano touched her private parts, made lewd gestures in front of her, and put his hand on her private parts while they were lying on the bed with Gwendolyn, Alcano's partner. On 23 July 2007, Alcano posted a bail bond of P80,000 – 20 percent of the initial bail recommendation.
List of titles
- 2005 Asian Nine-ball Tour - Manila
- 2006 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
- 2007 WPA World Eight-ball Championship
- 2009 Galveston Classic Eight-ball
- 2010 Pattaya 9 Ball Invitational
- 2010 Star Billiards Ten-ball Championships