Heriberto Aristazabal winner Colombian gold

SAN JOSE DE CUCUTA - Heriberto Aristazabal is one of the best Pan American billiard players. The 34-year-old Colombian from Medellin played an outstanding World Championship in Porto this year, where he started in the group with a two average match and signed up for Torbjörn Blomdahl's elimination.

In his own country, the reputation of Aristazabal is still growing. This week he won the 19th Deportivos Nacionales de Colombia, a tournament in which all best Colombians and Miguel Romero were in the field of players.

The final turned out in a duel between Henry Diaz and Heriberto Aristazabal, who won the match with 1.608 average. Andres Lizarazo was the surprising third.

The Pan-American champion Carlos Campino was eliminated in the semis by Aristazabal, the player he defeated in the Pan Americans. The roles were reversed this time: Aristazabal overpowered his opponent 42-32 in 27 innings.

Henry Diaz paved himself a way to the finals by a win against Lizarazo (42-35 in 43).

Other favorites for gold, as Robinson Morales and Miguel Romero, were outplayed on their way to the final stages. Morales lost in eighteen innings against Lizarazo in the quarterfinals. Romero was in the quarterfinals defeated by Henry Diaz.

The tournament was carried the name of Coldeportes, the sponsor of a professional cycling team, in which the sprinter Leonardo Duque is the main rider.

The results of the tournament:
1 Heriberto Aristazabal, 2 Henry Diaz, 3 Andres Lizarazo, 4 Carlos Campino, 5 Andrés Naranjo, 6 Julian Arbelaez, 7 Robinson Morales, 8 Miguel Romero, 9 Huberney Catano, 10 Huberto Castano, 11 Cesar Garzon, 12 Edgar Ariza, 13 Eleazar Ramirez, 14 Julian Morales, 15 Julian Torres.