-part 2 -
In its handling of players, the BSCP does not take any commission from the winnings and bonuses of players who play under its wing. This is in stark contrast to the practice of BMPAP managers who take 40% of every peso their players under contract earn. Likewise, the BSCP and its partner organizations have no outstanding financial obligations to players. In BSCP organized and sanctioned tournaments, winning players are paid within days after the conclusion of the event.
The BSCP has not confined its attention and support to just the top players. As an integral part of its program, the BSCP holds regularly women and juniors championships, divisional championships for various levels of players, and training programs for players. It does not forget its mission of service to all stakeholders of the sport, and its responsibility to build a secure future for Philippine pool.
4. The BMPAP was founded on the idea of establishing a professional pool team league in the Philippines. They held a big press conference to announce it, and projected the month of July for the start of competition. The pro team league inveigled many players to sign up because of the promise that all will earn regular salaries from their respective teams instead of having to win in competition. Aging players liked the idea of retiring into such a welfare system. The plan has not gotten off the ground, however. It is now July 2008 and there has been no mention anymore of the team league. No private firm has signed up. Meanwhile, players who enlisted are now asking about their promised bonanza. They feel they have been fooled.
5. Boycotting tournaments and competition managed by the BSCP has been a long-standing tactic of Aristeo Puyat, one of the three BMPAP founding managers. He has employed it in the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games by refusing to allow Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante to play for the country. He has used it against rival promoters for years, believing that if his players don?t play the tournaments will have no sponsorship support. He has not allowed Reyes and Bustamante to play in the BSCP national championship. This year, he and the BMPAP have employed the boycott against the Philippine Pool Tour of the BSCP, despite the attractive prizes and international competition. And now, they have talked about a boycott of the 2008 WPA World Ten Ball Championship.
While the boycott tactic may have been fruitful for Puyat in the past, it has been unsuccessful in the face of the proactive agenda of the BSCP and several new promoters during the past three years. Bigger and more exciting events are now taking place all over the Philippines regularly. Boycotting players are not missed by the fans. BSCP?s position on a boycott is that no player is bigger than the sport. A boycott is the player?s loss, not the promoter?s.
6. With the collapse of its pro team league scheme, the BMPAP has shifted its focus to holding its tournaments to rival BSCP-organized and sanctioned tournaments. It has hitched its wagon to the presidential ambitions of Sen. Manny Villar, who is eager to use pool as a means to project his candidacy and enhance his popularity. Together they have come up with the Villar Cup ? a series of tournaments to be staged in various parts of the country.
We in the BSCP wish the Villar Cup well, but it is clear that the BMPAP does not wish us the same. The BMPAP has mounted its tournaments on exactly the same dates as the tournaments being staged by the BSCP and its partner organizations. When the BSCP Philippine Pool Tour was launched in Mandaluyong City on May 6 to 11 (Mandaluyong Mayor?s Cup), the Villar Cup was unveiled on exactly the same dates in Alabang, Muntinlupa. When the second PPT leg was staged in Puerto Princesa City (Puerto Princesa Mayor?s Cup) on June 20-22, the Villar Cup materialized in Cebu City. Its object apparently is to show that they are an association at par with BSCP and to prevent their players from participating in the PPT.
All this BSCP can live with. Our association is comfortable with the support it is getting for its programs and events from the private and public sectors, and from billiards clubs and fans all over the country. Every PPT event enjoys the support of city governments of hosts. It meets high international standards for both equipment and technical management have commercial sponsors. Its field of players include some of the best players in the world. And they are fully televised nationally and internationally by the country?s biggest network.
7. As a matter of policy, the BSCP does not sanction tournaments that are organized and run by billiards managers. We believe there is an inherent conflict of interest between the billiards manager?s interest in his players winning and his obligation as promoter to be fair to all participants. The instances when billiards managers-promoters have not played fair with players are legion. The BSCP has received numerous complaints from players about practices of favoritism in seedings and bracketing which have rendered difficult for independent players to win in manager-organized tournaments.
This conflict of interest question is present in the Villar Cup being organized by BMPAP because it is run by the three BMPAP managers (Aristeo Puyat, Perry Mariano and Jonathan Sy). The latter?s players are being granted undue advantages through outright entry into the last 16 or last 32 round of tournaments, while independent players have to slogged through a process of elimination. It is no wonder that only the manager?s players win these events, and many independent players shy away from joining them.
Finally, with respect to the appeal of WPA president Ian Anderson for the BSCP and BMPAP to put aside their differences in order to ensure the staging and success of the World Ten Ball Championship in September and the World 9-Ball Championship in November, the BSCP board and officers wishes to convey to Mr. Anderson and the WPA their readiness to cooperate. We are ready and willing to discuss with the other side ways and means to forge a consensus and set aside differences. #
In its handling of players, the BSCP does not take any commission from the winnings and bonuses of players who play under its wing. This is in stark contrast to the practice of BMPAP managers who take 40% of every peso their players under contract earn. Likewise, the BSCP and its partner organizations have no outstanding financial obligations to players. In BSCP organized and sanctioned tournaments, winning players are paid within days after the conclusion of the event.
The BSCP has not confined its attention and support to just the top players. As an integral part of its program, the BSCP holds regularly women and juniors championships, divisional championships for various levels of players, and training programs for players. It does not forget its mission of service to all stakeholders of the sport, and its responsibility to build a secure future for Philippine pool.
4. The BMPAP was founded on the idea of establishing a professional pool team league in the Philippines. They held a big press conference to announce it, and projected the month of July for the start of competition. The pro team league inveigled many players to sign up because of the promise that all will earn regular salaries from their respective teams instead of having to win in competition. Aging players liked the idea of retiring into such a welfare system. The plan has not gotten off the ground, however. It is now July 2008 and there has been no mention anymore of the team league. No private firm has signed up. Meanwhile, players who enlisted are now asking about their promised bonanza. They feel they have been fooled.
5. Boycotting tournaments and competition managed by the BSCP has been a long-standing tactic of Aristeo Puyat, one of the three BMPAP founding managers. He has employed it in the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games by refusing to allow Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante to play for the country. He has used it against rival promoters for years, believing that if his players don?t play the tournaments will have no sponsorship support. He has not allowed Reyes and Bustamante to play in the BSCP national championship. This year, he and the BMPAP have employed the boycott against the Philippine Pool Tour of the BSCP, despite the attractive prizes and international competition. And now, they have talked about a boycott of the 2008 WPA World Ten Ball Championship.
While the boycott tactic may have been fruitful for Puyat in the past, it has been unsuccessful in the face of the proactive agenda of the BSCP and several new promoters during the past three years. Bigger and more exciting events are now taking place all over the Philippines regularly. Boycotting players are not missed by the fans. BSCP?s position on a boycott is that no player is bigger than the sport. A boycott is the player?s loss, not the promoter?s.
6. With the collapse of its pro team league scheme, the BMPAP has shifted its focus to holding its tournaments to rival BSCP-organized and sanctioned tournaments. It has hitched its wagon to the presidential ambitions of Sen. Manny Villar, who is eager to use pool as a means to project his candidacy and enhance his popularity. Together they have come up with the Villar Cup ? a series of tournaments to be staged in various parts of the country.
We in the BSCP wish the Villar Cup well, but it is clear that the BMPAP does not wish us the same. The BMPAP has mounted its tournaments on exactly the same dates as the tournaments being staged by the BSCP and its partner organizations. When the BSCP Philippine Pool Tour was launched in Mandaluyong City on May 6 to 11 (Mandaluyong Mayor?s Cup), the Villar Cup was unveiled on exactly the same dates in Alabang, Muntinlupa. When the second PPT leg was staged in Puerto Princesa City (Puerto Princesa Mayor?s Cup) on June 20-22, the Villar Cup materialized in Cebu City. Its object apparently is to show that they are an association at par with BSCP and to prevent their players from participating in the PPT.
All this BSCP can live with. Our association is comfortable with the support it is getting for its programs and events from the private and public sectors, and from billiards clubs and fans all over the country. Every PPT event enjoys the support of city governments of hosts. It meets high international standards for both equipment and technical management have commercial sponsors. Its field of players include some of the best players in the world. And they are fully televised nationally and internationally by the country?s biggest network.
7. As a matter of policy, the BSCP does not sanction tournaments that are organized and run by billiards managers. We believe there is an inherent conflict of interest between the billiards manager?s interest in his players winning and his obligation as promoter to be fair to all participants. The instances when billiards managers-promoters have not played fair with players are legion. The BSCP has received numerous complaints from players about practices of favoritism in seedings and bracketing which have rendered difficult for independent players to win in manager-organized tournaments.
This conflict of interest question is present in the Villar Cup being organized by BMPAP because it is run by the three BMPAP managers (Aristeo Puyat, Perry Mariano and Jonathan Sy). The latter?s players are being granted undue advantages through outright entry into the last 16 or last 32 round of tournaments, while independent players have to slogged through a process of elimination. It is no wonder that only the manager?s players win these events, and many independent players shy away from joining them.
Finally, with respect to the appeal of WPA president Ian Anderson for the BSCP and BMPAP to put aside their differences in order to ensure the staging and success of the World Ten Ball Championship in September and the World 9-Ball Championship in November, the BSCP board and officers wishes to convey to Mr. Anderson and the WPA their readiness to cooperate. We are ready and willing to discuss with the other side ways and means to forge a consensus and set aside differences. #