As
the curtains closed on TSADARTS 2008: The P100,000 San Miguel Beer
Dart Challenge at the Macasandig Covered Court, CDO’s very
own Jun Espiñola (The One) crowned himself champion of the
Open Singles event, besting Luzon’s Orlan Bernardino (Robson
Razor) four legs to two in the 501 best-of seven finals. With the
championship, Espinola earned the NDFP title of a Master and two
more NDFP ranked major championship will land him the National Masters
title. It was a fitting encore for Espiñola who also bagged
the Cagayan de Oro Open Singles title a week ago. Despite a frustrating
first two days of dart throwing, wherein he failed to go past the
second round in the first three events, Jun E, as he is fondly called
by fellow darters, gathered himself together and turned out a masterful
performance leading to an impressive win after another in the single
knock-out affair. Espiñola pocketed PhP15,000 plus a handsome
trophy, while Bernardino received PhP7,000. Dodong Nollora (BCDC-Butuan)
and Estoy “The Maestro” Densing (Copyprint-Bugo I) bagged
joint third and fourth places with PhP2,000 each.
Meanwhile, Bert Lozano (Robson Razor), another
CDO player and a nationally ranked NDFP player, swept through the
first three events copping the trophies in the Classified Three
Man, Fixed Four Man and Classified Doubles event. He almost made
it into a clean sweep but fell short in the Open Singles, losing
to eventual champ Espiñola in the Quarter-Finals, three legs
to two in a classic thriller.
On the first day of the event, organized by The
Dartfathers and sponsored by San Miguel Beer, Lozano teamed up with
Eric Waban (The Dartfathers) and Popoy Lanilao (DFK-Dart Federation
of Kotabato) defeating the team of Jonathan Llagas (Westbound-CDO
I), Rey Tobias (AgNor I) and Lloyd Cuarteros (Iligan) in the thrilling
finals four legs to three. The team of Llagas, Tobias and Cuarteros
failed to capitalize in their turn to end the game, affording Lozano
the honor of clinching the crown with a one pin double top. The
champions shared the PhP9,300 cash prize and received a trophy each,
while the second placers got PhP4,500. Rounding out the top four
getting PhP2,100 were the team of Ian Perez (Robson Razor), Ronnie
Napone (The Dartfathers) and Joe Apale (CDO-Carmen) and the trio
of Paolo Viola (Fern-C), Michael Bucio (Copyprint-Bugo II) and Zaldy
Cabiling (Iligan).
The second day started with the Fixed Four Man
Team event, and the Robson Razor team steamrolled their way to the
championship bagging the PhP16,000 prize. Top-seeded Ian Perez,
the National Darts Federation of the Philippines (NDFP) no. 1 player,
second seed Jojo Barellano, third-seeded Orlan Bernardino and Bert
Lozano, seeded 6th, displayed impeccable dart throwing en route
to the championship. They only got a scare in the quarterfinals
against the Copyprint-Bugo I Team composed of CDO’s rated
players in Henry Rivera, Estoy Densing, Allan Suminguin and Nick
Paderes, surviving a three-legs-to-two cliffhanger with a 160 check-out
from Perez, and a 107 game-winning check-out from Lozano. In the
finals, Robson Razor swept the upstarts The Dartfathers, composed
of Jong Cabeguin, Jinggo Bantigue, Eric Waban and Mike Jude Monforte.
The Dartfathers had their chances in the first leg of the finals,
but withered under the heavy torrent of Robson Razor’s firepower.
They received PhP 8,000 as runner-ups.
Lozano teamed up with Bobot Quiñones (Bugo
Darts) to win the Classified Doubles event besting Barellano and
Allan Medroso (The One).
TSADARTS 2008 is a National Dart Federation of
the Philippines’ Ranking Event. Top 16 players receive corresponding
points accumulated through participation in other NDFP sanctioned
tournaments. Organized by The Dartfathers, TSADARTS 2008 was also
ably supported by Robson Sportscraft’s Spectra dartboards
and the tournament trophies, Simplex Industrial Corporation, ABBOTT,
Macasandig Barangay Council, EcoFront Balloons, Toys and Party Needs,
Duaw Grill & Dart Haus, Cagayan de Oro City Council, Mr. Ferdinand
Gamila and Dr. Flaviano Caballero, M.D. (-Peter P)
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