The staging of the $100,000 Sharks International 9-Ball Open from 24 to 29 July in Quezon City should pave the way for the resumption of various big-time tournaments in the country, organizer Hadley Mariano said yesterday.

"This is our first international tournament after so many years," said Mariano during Tuesday's Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

"And this is not a one-time deal. We hope to bring back big tournaments. We're looking at the Presidential Cup and it is in the planning stage," he added.

A total of 128 players, including 64 foreigners, will take part in the event that will use the Matchroom format of double-round elims leading to the 64-player knockout stage and the finals at the Sharks Arena.

The winner gets $30,000, runnerup P15,000 all the way down to the top 32 of the event that has the backing of the Quezon City government under Mayor Joy Belmonte as well as the Games and Amusements Board and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Leading the Philippine charge are the best of the best, including the veterans led by Django Bustamante, Carlo Biado, Dennis Orcollo and newly-crowned World Cup of Pool champions Johann Chua and James Aranas.

Chua, a SEA Games champion, and Aranas, who is hoping to make it to the national team, joined Mariano in the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Mariano said they expect the best Asian players to vie in the event with perhaps less than a dozen coming from Europe.

Chua and Aranas, both 31 years old, are confident that Filipino players will end on top of the Sharks International.

"I believe the title will be won by a Filipino (player)," Chua said.