Source: ABS CBN NEWS
The founder of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) challenged the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) to help improve the situation of local cue masters who are forced to look for coaching jobs abroad due to lack of tournaments in the country.
Founding BMPAP leader Ceferino "Perry" Mariano said BSCP President Arturo “Bong” Ilagan should address the exodus of local cue players to other countries by helping organize more regional tournaments.
"Alam naman natin may problema sila (BSCP) at ang mga players pero dapat hanapan niya (Ilagan) ng solusyon. Wala nga silang regional tournament kaya masisi ba natin ang mga player na mangibang bansa para magturo gayong wala ngang torneo ang BSCP," he said.
(We know there's a problem between BSCP and the players, but he [Ilagan] should find a solution for that. They have no regional tournaments, so we can't blame them for leaving the country.)
Ilagan said it is a player's decision to move overseas in exchange for a higher-paying job as coach.
“It’s their right to earn more. Besides, even if they stay here, they still need to go through qualifying tournaments for them to represent the country overseas. There are no seeded players here,” Ilagan told The Philippine Star.
Pool players currently working in the Middle East include 2006 Doha Asian Games 9-ball gold winner Antonio “Ga-Ga” Gabica, Asiad 9-ball silver winner Jeffrey de Luna, snooker specialist Joven Alba, and Joven Bustamante.
Ronnie “The Volcano” Alcano, a former world champion, is seriously contemplating on following them.
The local players are reportedly offered a minimum monthly payment of $3,000 (roughly P120,000). The Filipinos are also allowed to bring their families, who can also look for other jobs in the Middle East.
Ilagan said the absence of Gabica or Alcano in the local scene doesn’t mean that the country will be short-handed when it comes to talent.
“We still have most of the good players with us. Efren 'Bata' Reyes is still with us, as well as Django (Bustamante) and the others. We still have 80 to 90 percent of the good players around,” he said.
Mariano, however, said Ilagan is virtually clueless about the present status of billiards in the country.
“Hindi n’ya nga alam kung sino talaga ang magagaling at ang mga paparating na player (He doesn’t know who are the good players, the up-and-coming talents),” he said.
Mariano also claimed the BSCP chief can easily shrug off the issue because he doesn’t know how much local managers have invested to develop the pool talents.
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