ALEX PAGULAYAN - PHILIPPINES

Age - 27
Based - Toronto, Canada and Manila, Philippines
Nickname - The Lion
Hobbies - Poker, Basketball and Malls
Cue Used - Schon Butt, Predator Shaft
Achievements - 2004 World Pool Champion. Runner-up 2003 World Pool Championship. Runner-up 2002 US Open. Joss Tour Grand Final Winner. Runner-up 2003 IBC Western Canadian Open. Runner-up 2003 Reno Open,

Following successive final appearances at the World Pool Championship, including winning it in 2004, Pagulayan is now one of the biggest names in world pool and a must-have for any tournament promoter.

The entertaining Canadian-Filipino makes any tournament complete and year’s of hardened gambling on the road have helped make him one of the most feared players out there. After the heartbreak losing to Thorsten Hohmann at the final hurdle at Cardiff in 2003, he went one better in Taipei last year, taking down underdog Chang Pei-wei in a superb battle.

Since then Alex has gone on to establish himself as a bona fide celebrity in his native Philippines for whom he now plays. In 2005 Pagulayan has had two big wins – the Derby City Classic 10-Ball Ring Game and the SML Entertainment 9-Ball Championship. ‘The Lion’ went out to Hungary’s Vilmos Foldes in the last 32 in defence of his World crown but he has recently started to establish himself as a poker player and made the final stages of the UK Open to collect $10,000. Pool remains his first love though.