Adding to the stakes will be a prize money purse of $50,000 USD up for grabs this weekend and o­n each subsequent stop of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour: Taipei (May 7-9) and Manila (May 29-30). The main draw includes players from 12 Asian countries/regions.Efren “Bata” Reyes is the o­nly winner in the 2004 Tour after he swept both titles in Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City. In the Ho Chi Minh City leg last month, Reyes came back from 5-9 to take six racks in a row to beat Chao Fong Pang of Chinese Taipei in the final between two former world champions.

Both Reyes and Chao will definitely be the players to beat in Hong Kong. But these 9-ball giants will face up against the likes of world number-one player Francisco Bustamante and triple runner-up of the tour Warren Kiamco, both from the Philippines; Busan Asian Games 9-Ball bronze medallist and current world number nine Jeong Young Hwa of Korea; as well as last year’s Singapore leg champion Yang Ching Shun and two-time world youth champion Hsia Hui Kai of Chinese Taipei.

At this third leg of 2004, host Hong Kong will be represented by their 2002 Asian Games snooker event medallists Au Chi Wai, Fung Kwok Wai, as well as Dek Chiu and Thomas Wong. All the action will be carried o­n STAR Sports o­n May 1-2 (Singapore/Hong Kong time).

For all information o­n the Tour, please check out www.asian9-balltour.com. For the latest schedules and program information o­n ESPN STAR Sports, catch us o­n the net at www.espnstar.com.

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