Billiards drive to find fresh talents ‘futile’

PHILIPPINE billiards’ campaign to discover future aces in the grassroots will be successful only if the young talents agree to train under the Billiards and Snooker Confederation of the Philippines (BSCP), according to a critic of the association.

Perry Mariano, president of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines, said the BSCP’s P6-million annual budget from the Philippine Sports Commission is also not enough to maintain a pool of players that could be molded into new Dennis Orcollos or Efren Reyeses.

“There are talents out there but I doubt if the BSCP can convince them to play for the national team,” said Mariano, who helped Orcollo blossom into an international star.

“That’s (P6 million) the amount I spent before Dennis began winning in international competitions,” said Mariano, whose outfit Bugsy Promotions handles Orcollo and top Taiwanese cue artists Chang Jung-lin (world No. 7) and two-time world junior champion Ko Pin-yi (17th).

“You have to spend P3 million a year to mold one raw talent and another P3 million when he begins to play in high-level competitions.”

Mariano also spent that much to fuel the careers of Ronnie Alcano (2006 World 9-Ball and 2007 World 8-Ball champion) and Roberto Gomez (2007 World 9-Ball and 2010 World Cup of Pool finalist).

Mariano said the current BSCP leaders also do not know who the players to develop for the national team.