MANILA, 27 September — Efren "Bata" Reyes defeated Francisco "Django" Bustamante, 5-2, 5-3, in an All-Filipino final of the Cafe Puro Challenge of the Masters at the Subic Bay Yacht Club in Zambales. The jam-packed crowd erupted in wild applause as Reyes calmly captured the 7th rack in the second set, assuring himself of his first-ever title in this former American base.

With the win, Reyes, who made a successful follow-up to his victory in the inaugural Asian 8-ball tournament in Singapore last week, pocketed $10,000 (about 500,000 pesos). Bustamante, who appeared spent after his lung-busting, 5-2, 3-5, 5-3 victory over Mika Immonen in the crossover semifinals, settled for $7,500 (about 375,000 pesos).

Immonen and US Open champion Corey Deuel, who lost to Reyes in the first semifinals, decided not to play for third and split the $5,000 (250,000-peso) purse.

"I think it’s not Django’s night. He’s a little bit tired and I’m fully rested," said Reyes, who will fly with Bustamante to Busan for the Asian Games on Sept. 28. "I’m happy that we made it both to the finals," Reyes said.

Reyes was able to rest fully since his semifinal encounter against Deuel finished two hours ahead of Bustamante. In contrast, Bustamante needed to use his vast experience in order to frustrate Immonen, the 2001 World Pool champion, in a match which lasted for more than two hours.

Using his deadly breaking game, Bustamante actually dominated Reyes in the eliminations but lost his touch in the all-important encounter.

PSC gets P50 million windfall from GMA

Malacanang has underscored anew its commitment to sports development after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo approved the release of P50 million as augmentation fund for the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). The amount, sourced out of the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) chaired by Ephraim Genuino, would be culled out of the president’s social fund.

"On behalf of the PSC, I am very grateful to the gesture of the president," said PSC Chairman Eric Buhain. "Sports, indeed, runs as among the priorities of the president and her administration for that matter."

Buhain also thanked PAGCOR and its chief, Genuino, for their unwavering support to sports development. "Chairman Genuino has never ceased to similarly put sports as among PAGCOR’s priorities," he added.

The presidential support would be used to augment the PSC’s funding of its commitments and general programs, specifically this year when the country competes in the Asian Games, which start Sept. 29 in Busan, South Korea.

What doubly benefited the PSC, according to Buhain, is the fact that the augmentation fund would be over and above what the PSC receives monthly from the PAGCOR. Buhain stressed the other members of the PSC board/commissioners Cynthia Carrion, William Ramirez, Leon Montemayor and Michael Barredo — were equally thankful and relieved about the president’s gesture.

FedEx bares P30m budget for cycling tour

FedEx is not wasting any single moment just to make sure next year’s cycling tour will be another success. Seven months before actual competition takes off, Airfreight 2100, the sole licensee of FedEx in the country, already laid out the blueprint for the staging of its second tour undertaking. And the men behind it vow a summer spectacle that is bigger in scope and cash prizes.

"Definitely, we are pushing for the continuation of the tour," proclaimed FedEx Tour executive director Mar Mendoza. Tentatively billed "Express Tour ng Pilipinas," the event comes in the heels of the successful staging of the Express Tour of Calabarzon last June which FedEx initiated to revive the annual cycling tour that had been shelved for almost three years.

Unlike its maiden venture, next year’s edition will be a 14-lap race covering the Manila and Bicol regions, which Mendoza said would cost the giant delivery service a total of P30 million.

Out of such amount, Airfreight 2100 President Lito Alvarez bared P3.2 million is allotted as prize money, P1 million of which goes to the winning team and P200,00 to the individual champion. "We are increasing the price package to make it more exciting and attractive sa mga riders," said Alvarez.

In its effort to put premium on the value of teammanship rather than on individualism, technical committee head Paquito Rivas, himself a cycling champion during his time, said organizers decided to raise instead the cash prizes to be awarded to the winning team.

A set of pre-qualifying races are already slated in November and December to be held in Subic, according to Mendoza, from which riders would be selected to compete in a final qualifying race. Plans of expanding the Express Tour to Visayas and Mindanao are also being considered, although Mendoza said the feasible thing at the moment is to hold races in Luzon.

Jolet tops road race; Retuya shares honors

Shell Advance-Rolex Engineering’s Jolet Jao and Shell Racing’s Joel Retuya pulled off stirring wins to assure themselves of their respective crowns in the Casino Filipino Grand Prix at the Batangas Circuit in Rosario, Batangas.

Though heavy rains postponed the afternoon race, Jao’s victory in Round 9 was enough to virtually seal his sixth road race crown in seven years in the Shell Advance Super Bike Series sanctioned by the National Motorcycle Sport and Safety Association (NAMSSA).

He finished the 12-lap race in 1:42.965, 4.265 seconds ahead of runner-up Toti Alberto of Access Plus-Ducati Manila and third placer Rod Scott of RS Racing. Retuya shared honors with Shell teammate Victor Yap in the Formula Toyota Cup races.

Torre Chess Institute formed

To pursue its goal of promoting chess in schools, the Active Chess Center of Asia has linked up with Grandmaster Eugene Torre to form the Grandmaster Eugenio Torre Chess Institute. Under the program, chess clubs will be set up in schools and clinics, workshops and tournaments will be held to stir interest among schoolchildren. Simultaneous exhibitions will also be staged in elementary and high schools all over the country.

The first of a series of chess-in-schools workshops to be conducted by Torre is schedule this week at the First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities in Tanauan City, Batangas. The event will also mark the formal launching of the GETCI. The one-day activity will consist of a chess lecture and a seminar on how to organize tournaments and chess clubs in schools and the benefits of teaching chess.

Torre will be assisted by chess scholar Elmer Sangalang and national master Robert Suelo.