BSCP gets blame for billiards’ stagnation

MANILA, Philippines—Filipino cue experts will fade from the international billiards scene in three years.

Professional billiards manager Perry Mariano made this bleak projection due to what he said was the stagnant development of players from the grassroots level.

The founder of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines blamed the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines, the national association for the sport, for being remiss in its duty to mold top-caliber pool players for the national team.

“All the best players in the country come from the pool of the BMPAP. We lend them (BSCP) the players during international tilts because apparently, they couldn’t develop players of their own,” Mariano said.

Dennis Orcollo, Mariano’s discovery and last year’s No. 1-ranked player in the world, and Iris Ranola won three gold medals for the country in the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia. Both are under the BMPAP stable.

“It has been that way since the 2005 SEA Games here in Manila. We lend them the players and they take the credit,” said Mariano, head of Bugsy Promotions.

“It’s not easy to develop talent. I’ve spent a great deal of time and money molding these players on my own without a single centavo from the government,” added Mariano. “Name a medalist whom the BSCP had developed and you will find none. I don’t want to disappoint you but there are no up-and-coming players either.”

National pool players recently sought an audience with Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia and aired their problems regarding their attendance and allowances with BSCP officials.

BSCP head Arturo Ilagan Jr. said the PSC should have not entertained the players in the first place, saying it’s a simple case of misunderstanding that could be resolved internally.