Sharks Billiards Association to ‘revive’ pool action in PHL

THE Philippines, which once served as the mecca of pool, is now home to the country’s first-ever professional billiards league.

With hopes of reviving the long-dormant pool action in the country and further exposing Filipino players to top-level play, founder Hadley Mariano, son of the industry’s icon Perry, has launched the Sharks Billiards Association (SBA) with Chino Trinidad serving as commissioner.

In partnership with the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), the SBA will field four pioneering teams this season with five players each from the draft pool of over 100 players.

Teams, with partnerships from cities and provinces for a regional taste, will be unveiled before next month before the draft, where anyone with a pro GAB license, including national team players, is eligible to join.

Teams will duke it out in a nine-ball play albeit under a still-to-be-announced format.

Only local players may join the inaugural season but the SBA is open to including foreign and guest ones for the next seasons to come featuring at least 20 to 30 teams.

The SBA will also require one grassroot or homegrown player from each city partner of the teams to champion the growth of the sport, where the Filipinos are considered one of the best — if not the best.

As a pro league, uniformed salaries for a staple livelihood from here on will be implemented by team owners but there’s more to it than that as the SBA is out to erase the sport’s stigma for money game alone with pride and honor at stake.

“This is a dream as the world’s first and only pro league” said Mr. Trinidad, a former basketball commissioner.

From the legends of Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante to current world 10-ball champion Carlo Biado, it’s only a matter of time for the Philippines to produce another one and SBA is here to make that happen sooner than later. — John Bryan Ulanday