Billiard Associations Need To Get Act Together
The President of the World Pool-Billiard Association, (in Sydney) has encouraged rivals of the Phillipine billiards community to close all disputes before the upcoming world championship events in Manila take place. Ian Sanderson is urging the rival associations to settle all disagreements and focus on the WPA World 10-ball Championship in September and the WPA 9-ball Championship in November.
Anderson has informed the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Phillipines (BSCP) and the Billiards Managers and Players of the Phillipines (BMPAP) to ‘allow the two events to take place as scheduled,’ so the prestigious cue players can compete in both tournaments. The comments are a response to a news release which was released by the BMPAP last week, which announced a boycott by players of the WTBC.
Some of the players allied with the BMPAP are former WPA 9-ball champions Alex Pagulayan, Efren Reyes, and Ronnie Alcano. Other top stars include Francisco Bustamante, Dennis Orcollo and Gandy Vale, to name a few.
Anderson has asked both groupsto put the welfare of the players first by considering those ‘who only want to participate and seek the opportunity of becoming a world champion at these two prestigious tournaments.’ The president also commented that,
‘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 hostiletoward the WPA, who would reluctantly be forced to take whatever action it felt necessary.’
The BMPAP and the BSCP have held events at the same time in the past and offered similar amount of prize money. The BMPAP held the Villar cup in Manila, and the BSCP held tournaments in Mandaluyong and Palawan.
Anderson has also commented that the WPA agreements which cover the 9-ball and 10-ball championships, ‘the players competing must be in good standing with their own national federations.’
The World 10-ball Championship is promoted by Raya Sports and supported by the BSCP as well as other clubs and associations throughout the country. The World 9-ball event will be promoted by Matchroom Sport and sponsored by the Senate President Manuel Villar and BMPAP.
Anderson has warned both organizations that any events resulting in cancellation would lead to severe consequences for World Pool. He stressed that,
‘The effect for television networks of a cancellation of a planned event due to domestic disputes would risk future participation in billiards. This and denying the players the chance to compete for prie money of $800,000 is just too high a price to pay over local disputes.’
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