World 10-Ball & World Pool Championships & The State of Philippine Billiards!

I received a ton of emails In less than 2 hours of posting my thoughts on Alex Pagulayan’s decision to file a libel suit against the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP). Post is here, friends.

Most wanted to know how such will affect the state of the sport in the country. And a number have expressed concerns about the upcoming World 10-Ball Championships and the possible staging of the World Pool Championships (WPC) here in the Philippines.

From what I could gather and all, here are more developments, everyone!

Even before Alex Pagulayan, aka The Lion, filed the lawsuit, Filipino pool players Efren Bata Rreyes, Francisco Django Bustamante, Alex Pagulayan, and Ronnie Alcano announced that they will boycott the inaugural staging of the World 10-Ball Pool Championships slated for September 2008 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

The Filipino poolplayers cited personal reasons for the decision not the join the 2008 World 10-Ball competition, the first in a 5-year franchise acquired by Raya Sports from the World Pool-Billiards Association. Specifically, the decision of The Magician, Django, The Lion, and the Volcano to boycott is a sign of protest for what they perceived as “injustice and conflict of interest” by the BSCP, headed by its chairman Yen Makabenta and president Ernie Fajardo.

From the Manila Standard:

“We’re fighting for a cause. We hope that this action serves as a wake-up call for players and private sponsors. Sana ma-realize nila na hindi lang sila kundi maraming players ang patuloy na niloloko ng mga abusadong opisyal ng BSCP,” said Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines Vice Chairman Perry Mariano, and owner of Bugsy Promotions.

And from bilyar.net:

WPA has announced that BMPAP players who boycott the WPA World 10-Ball Championships in September will be banned from joining all WPA events for this year and next year. That includes the world 9-ball and 8-ball championships, among others. Further, WPA has confirmed the full authority of Filipino players for all WPA events. WPA has a firm rule that only players in good standing with the national governing body can join its events. Full official statement will be issued next week

Some replies to this thread:

LOL!!! Binola nanaman kayo! Wala naman announcement ang WPA. Kausap lang namin yung mga taga labas kahapon about this. Bola rin yung ESPN coverage ng W10BallPC, ni hindi naman alam nung ESPN yang event na iyan nung pinakita yung text message sa kanila. Itatanong pa raw sa opisina eh hepe na nga ng ESPN events yun. Remember, kausap namin ngayon lahat ng mga taong ito dahil sa WPC. Kahit nga San Miguel ayaw ng sumoporta sa kanila eh.

Translation: WPA has made no such announcement. We have just talked to them, including ESPN, and both have no knowledge of such.

Kaya next week pa ang sinasabi nilang OFFICIAL RELEASE kasi ngayon pa lang siya umaangal kay WPA at pinangungunahan nila. Ang sabi sa amin ni Anderson ay basta lang huwag sana namin sabayan. Kung hindi maglalaro doon ang mga players ay wala siyang magagawa dahil this is a democracy! Iyan ang current news at hindi yung text nila na pinangungunahan ang WPA. Mas matibay ba si Yen kaysa kay Barry Hearn when it comes to WPA? Suntok sa buwan!

Translation: Ian Anderson’s only request is that the World Pool Championships be not held simultaneously with that of the World 10-Ball event. That Anderson cannot do anything if the pool players do not want to enter and participate in a specific event because after all, this is a democracy.

Delaying tactics lang ito! Aminado na silang hindi nila kayang gawin ang World 10 dahil kapos na sa oras at walang SPONSORS na papasok dahil diyan sa "Boycott" announcement ng players namin. Pinapangako nila kasi sa prospective sponsors nila na maglalaro sila Efren kaso lumabas yung "boycott" sa pahayagan. Tapos na ang pag-exploit nila!

Translation: These are all delaying tactics. They don’t have the time to stage the World 10 Ball Championships successfully. And besides, no sponsors are willing to promote them because Efren Bata Reyes has boycotted the said event and will not play in it.

Delayingtactic yung announcement nila ng WPA pronouncement kuno para magahol din kami sa oras! Mga ungas talaga! Kahit ma-technical nila ang WPC, kung makakutsaba nila si Anderson, gagawin naming PHILIPPINE World 9-Ball Pool Championship! Kaya tuloy pa rin ang paghahanda namin, titulo lang ng event ang kailangan palitan.

Translation: And if they cite technicalities and all, all we have to do is change the name of the event to Philippine World 9-Ball Championship.

Yun na nga! Papayag ba ang WPA na mawalan sila ng $20k in sanction fees from a proven annual source, the WPC. Ni hindi pa naman nila subok yung W10BC. Sa tingin mo! Bobo kaya ang WPA?

Do you think the WPA would allow itself to lose $20K in sanction fees from a proven annual source, i.e., the WPC? WPA is not stupid.

A-Kid: I have said it before, and I will say it again! My only wish is that everything will turn out for the best for the country’s billiards industry, with emphasis on the Filipino pool players. Because truth be told, they (the Filipino pool players) are the ones truly responsible for putting the Philippines on the billiards map and making it what is today - the pool capital of the world! And I kid you not!

"The AnitoKid supports Philippine billiards!"

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