Ever wonder why pool is thriving in the Philippines?

[gopi-1]

They will even be celebrating the month of May as "Philippine Billiards Holidays"! Read on:



Top pool bets join Villar Cup





After the San Miguel Beer-Quezon City 9-Ball Championship, the Billiards Managers and Players Association
of the Philippines (BMPAP) is set to host another big event - the First Senate President Manny Villar Cup.

The tournament is slated on May 6 to 11 at the StarMall in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

The BMPAP has also declared that starting this year, May will be a special month for the Filipino cue artists
as they will be celebrating the "Philippine Billiards Holidays."

"Billiards is one of the popular events in the country today, not only in sports but in entertainment as
well," said BMPAP President Vic Rodriguez. "So we at BMPAP decided to come up with this Philippine
Billiards Holidays to celebrate the continuing success of the sport and that of our players. The Manny
Villar Cup will be the highlight of this year's festivities.

"The Philippine billiards community is very happy to have found a big supporter in Senator Villar.
His support is certainly a big boost in our advocacy to further uplift our status as the world's best
billiards-playing nation, the epicenter of pool," he added.

Dozens of local cue artists are expected to participate in the event, which will have two tournaments -
the Master of the Ring Game and the Search for the New Billiards Idol Sipag at Tiyaga Edition.

Efren "Bata" Reyes and former double world champion Ronnie Alcano will banner the 24-man field
in the Master of the Ring Game.

Apart from the prestigious Villar Cup, the players will compete for a total pot of R400,000.

Also competing in the tournament are current world No.1 Dennis Orcollo, 2007 World Pool Championship
runner-up Roberto Gomez, former Asian Games gold medalist Gandy Valle, reigning national titlist Lee
Van Corteza, Warren Kiamco, Rodolfo Luat, Ramil Gallego, Eduardo Villanueva, Roel Esquillo
and Fidel Punzalan.

Rising stars Joven Bustamante, Carlo Biado, Jharome Pena, Russian Petiza, Benjie Guevarra, Ricky
Zerna, Jundel Mason, Elmer Haya, Panfilo Damuag, Godofredo Ducanes, Cebu's William Chua and
2007 national juniors champion Mark Mendoza are also joining the event.

Source:

http://www.mb.com.ph/SPRT20080424122711.html

 

[JAM]

I know this much. If you go to Google and search for the latest news on Billiards, it is all Filipino pool. They seem to respect pool players as sports figures in this country and celebrate the champions.

You guys are lucky!

JAM

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

I know this much. If you go to Google and search for the latest news on Billiards, it is all Filipino pool. They seem to respect pool players as sports figures in this country and celebrate the champions.

You guys are lucky!

JAM

Amen.

Also I think pool in the Philippines, is like Baseball in the U.S., and is supported by major sponsors.

 

[bandido]

I know this much. If you go to Google and search for the latest news on Billiards, it is all Filipino pool. They seem to respect pool players as sports figures in this country and celebrate the champions.

You guys are lucky!

JAM

Thanks JAM, that is 100% true.

Allow me to to apologise to you if I came off negatively for assuming that "cultural difference" won't figure in on my responses to you back then at the other forum. The word "seem" in your statement suddenly opened my eyes! I just realized that you took my statement before negatively since you're used to how poolplayers are regarded to there in the USA, mostly disrespected!

My mention of your beloved back in that thread is in all honesty a recognition and respect for what he is and his achievement! IMO, you may have a different understanding of my posts to you there now knowing this.

In life, one bad mark makes people forget all the good that a person possesses or have done. With pool having all the evil associated with it, it'll be a travesty if we fail to build on its "good". The "good" is the part that our new organization's, BMPAP, leaders make sure to not overlook, fail to let everyone know of nor protect against those who just want to exploit it for their own personal gains.

I'm sorry that you took my statement referring to KMc, as a star here and respected for his achievements, negatively. On the contrary, it is a true and honest statement. Keith has a lot of fans here, respected for his achievements and playing abilities. People want to personally see him in action for all they know of his playing prowess is through stories told by some lucky ones who've seen/watched him up close or in videos. Here in the Philppines, one of the questions that is still left unanswered is "How does Color of Money's Grady Seasons really play and when are we going to see him in person?" When can we sit with him and hear stories of his exploits and the behind the scene going-ons? When do we get to have him sign autographs for us and pose for pics with us?

Did I say ONE? Shoot JAM, there's more than one question that needs answers and only one person can answer these! Keith McCready!

 

[JoeyInCali]

Ed, you just couldn't hold it till August ha?

 

[bandido]

Amen.

Also I think pool in the Philippines, is like Baseball in the U.S., and is supported by major sponsors.

Pool here has a high participation rating as many of the youngsters graduate to it from playing disc pool. Pool tables on virtually every street corner even in dismal conditions are played on. This love for the game and the mental/physical competition that it offers coupled with affordability and the Filipino's love to gamble makes this sport popular here. Low-capital entrepreneurs recognize this and thus the "every street corner" poolhall's existance.

Bringing awareness and knowledge to pool being an excellent marketing vehicle is a product of the sport-related industry and topping that list is Puyat Sports. Putch Puyat was the pioneer at this level of the pool enthusiast community. He had the means and had the connections in the highest level of the corporate structure here in the Philippines. Soon many more "Putch Puyats" surfaced but this level in our community was fractured for each had a different idea on how to bring progress to the sport. This raised the status of the sport for it produced more champions that got worldwide recognition but the industry and pool community's activities stood still and even slightly declined even with the surge in quantity and quality of pool events.

Everything matures and as long as the movers don't give up and keep on looking for answers the light at the end of the tunnel will come to sight. That light came and it came fast because of the unification. We, in unison, built a fast moving vehicle to transport us quicker to the end of the tunnel, the BMPAP. So now all sectors in the Philippines be it the Government, the business sector, the good.. bad...pretty...ugly...of society LISTEN!

 

[bandido]

Ed, you just couldn't hold it till August ha?

You know the saying! If you gotta go you gotta go. LOL!
We are still holding the twice-a-month ranking tournaments, Bugsy's Search for Billiard Idol", which even you can play in. The Professional Pool League will be on-going by that time but I don't think it'll be a good idea to hold a televised Major Open tournament due to August being the Olympic month. Or we just might hold a Pool Olympic here with all the formats, who knows?

How about a feedback or your opinion about this Pool Olympic idea? Post here or write to me edreyes@bmpappropool.com if you don't want your opinion in plain view of the public's eye.

 

[JAM]

Thanks JAM, that is 100% true.

Thank you for your kind words about Keith.

If Keith had grown up in the Philippines, I am sure his life today would be quite different. Action is condoned and sometimes even encouraged in Filipino culture. In America, though, there are definitely two extreme schools of thoughts about pool and gambling.

Everywhere we go today on the tournament trail, curiosity seekers, diehard pool fans, international players, and even the youngsters come up to Keith. He is a legend in the American pool world, not for his tournament wins, but it is the movie, the high-stakes gambling, and Keith's infamous exploits that people want to know more about.

He is truly an entertainer at heart. When he plays pool, he loves to interact with the crowd. That is the fuel that lights his fire, and the more the crowd involvement, the better Keith will play.

There are some today who claim to be the winningest money player ever, but I don't think today's young guns even come close to Keith McCready. Jose Parica told me that in his opinion, Keith has gambled for more money than anyone he has ever seen, win or lose, and I believe Jose.

Unfortunately, in the United States, being a pool player is sometimes compared to the scum of the earth. I have read words written by Americans who claim they have more respect for a garbage collector than a pool player.

Before I die, I want to go to the Philippines and celebrate pool with like-minded pool folks. Pool in the United States is a tough racket. I have seen champion players beaten up by the sport here, loss of sponsorship, ridicule from the American pool public, and ultimately some of these pool greats leave the sport for good out of despair. I believe the existing lot of professional players in the United States is dwindling because of it.

Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be pool players, unless they live in the Philippines, of course.

JAM

 

[bandido]

Thank you for your kind words about Keith.


He is truly an entertainer at heart. When he plays pool, he loves to interact with the crowd. That is the fuel that lights his fire, and the more the crowd involvement, the better Keith will play.

Before I die, I want to go to the Philippines and celebrate pool with like-minded pool folks. Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be pool players, unless they live in the Philippines, of course.

JAM

Come then! You and Keith are going to love it here and it'll love you back!