Ian Anderson, the Sydney-based president of the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), the world governing billiards body finally broke his silence as he urged rival camps of the Philippine billiards community to put aside their differences lest their dispute have a “detrimental effect” on two upcoming world championship events in Manila—the WPA World 10-Ball Championship in September and the WPA World 9-Ball Championship in November.
Anderson specifically asked the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) and the Billiards Managers and Players of the Philippines (BMPAP) to jointly “allow the two events to take place as scheduled” so that all the best players can participate in the tournaments.
The BMPAP issued last week a news release that announced a boycott by its players of the WTBC. This incited comment around the world, particularly in the AZBilliards website and the WPA community.
Among the players allied with BMPAP are former WPA 9-Ball champions Alex Pagulayan, Efren Reyes, Ronato Alcano and international veterans Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Dennis Orcullo, Gandy Valle and many others.
Interest
Anderson also asked both groups to consider the interest of the sport as a whole and the welfare of players “who only want to participate and seek the opportunity of becoming a world champion at these two prestigious tournaments.”
“Talks of boycotts and running a rival tournament at the same time as the World 10-Ball Championship are contrary to the best interest of the sport and the international community. Targeting any WPA event with an action designed to sabotage it will be deemed hostile toward the WPA, who would reluctantly be forced to take whatever action it felt necessary,” Anderson said.
In the past, both the BMPAP and the BSCP staged simultaneous events offering almost the same prize money. BMPAP had the two legs of their Villar Cup in Manila and Cebu, while BSCP staged two other tournaments in Mandaluyong and Palawan.
The WPA president said the BSCP is the member for the Philippines of the Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU), which in turn is the continental federation for Asia in the world body.
Recognition
An APBU member is required to have recognition from the National Olympic Committee of each country. Like other continental members, the APBU has only one member per country.
Anderson pointed out that under the WPA agreements covering the 9-ball and 10-Ball world championships, “the players competing must be in good standing with their own national federations.”
For Filipino players, this is the BSCP.
The World 10-Ball Championship is being promoted by Raya Sports with the support of the BSCP, Star Billiards, and other partner clubs and organizations all over the country. The world 9-ball event, on the other hand, is being promoted by Matchroom Sport with the sponsorship of Senate President Manuel Villar and BMPAP.
Anderson warned that any possible event cancellation would result in dire consequences for world pool.
“The effect for television networks of a cancellation of a planned event due to domestic disputes would risk their future participation in billiards,” he said. “This and denying the players the chance to compete for prize money of $800,000 is just too high a price to pay over local disputes.” (PR)
