Have you met a person bearing a name that sounds like a last name? Probably yes, but very rare, right? In the pool and billiard world, either you are in the Philippines or USA, that name sounds familiar to everybody. He is Santos Sambajon. Pool enthusiasts here in the US called him “The Saint”. Santos, who was born and raised in Macalelon, Quezon Province, more than a hundred miles southeast of Manila, started playing pool at the age of seven. Born September 10, 1960, Santos moved to the big city seeking a better life and future when he was 11 years old. He had nowhere to stay or spend the night because he didn’t know anybody or any relatives in the big city to live with. He ended up roaming around Sta. Cruz, Avenida Rizal, up to Taft Avenue almost every day doing everything to survive the “Survival of the Fittest”.
In the pool and billiard world, either you are in the Philippines or USA, that name sounds familiar to everybody. He is Santos Sambajon.
Equipped with extraordinary talent in pool from the province, Santos started to hang out at some pool halls along Avenida Rizal. He befriended the owners of Manila Billiard Center, who found him to be a good pool player, but he always lost his money betting and being hustled by pool sharks in the area. One time, Santos was challenged by a group of three guys and always beat his opponent. The pool hall owner was surprised by his skills and talent on the table. Instantly, they no longer had to face anyone for a money game. The name (or last name) Santos became so very popular around the city. His very powerful break and fancy stroke caught the eyes of Jose Parica, Rodolfo Luat, Romy “Salamin” Del Rosario, Jorge Dacer, Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Snooky Villanueva, Ramon Mistica, and more.
In 1988, Santos represented the Philippines in the Asian Open International 9-Ball Championships held at the plush Holiday Inn Hotel in Manila. Santos won this prestigious event and received his very first fat check in his life. “When it rains, it pours”, said Santos, who was given a visa to travel to the US after this. He came back and married his girlfriend Annabel in October 1991 with then-Quezon City Vice Mayor and now Senator Tito Sotto as their principal sponsor or “Ninong”. Both were blessed with four very respectful children: two girls and two boys: Donna the eldest, Don, Dianne, and the youngest, Donald.
In 1996, Santos decided to come back to the US for good, for a greener pasture and to pursue a career as a pool player. Of course, “the American Dream”. At first, he said, everything was not easy for him: culture shock, language barrier, the hard accent, etc. etc. Just let him play pool and everything seems so easy for this small, skinny guy who weighs less than a hundred pounds. But, after nine years of hardship and challenges, he achieved his ultimate goal. He was granted a green card and brought his family to the US after winning the “2005 Skins International 9-Ball Championships” in Atlantic City. That was the turning point of his life.
After three years of living on the East Coast and the Midwest, he finally moved his family for good to his most beloved state of California.
As a longtime friend of Santos, we have been through thick and thin together, faced these challenges in life together. We had misunderstandings, but after all those years, at the end of the tunnel, a friend is still a friend. We only have one thing in common, “First and Foremost, Our Family comes First, no matter what. Period. Thanks and God Bless”.