To sum things up:
It is the
COMMAND RESPONSIBILITYof BSCP to have allowed the situation of Philippine billiards to come to this. Whatever the nature or motivation the payers and managers had, they should have solved it with reason, explanation, and diplomacy to prevent a splinter.
Article IV Section J of the Constitution and By-Laws on National Sports Associations
(BSCP for Pool) of the Philippine Olympic Committee (
http://www.olympic.ph/natlsportsassoc.html)
states :
"To formulate qualification standards and license and accredit referees, umpires and arbiters and other game officials in the respective sports; decide, subject to appeal to the POC,
all question on the amateur status and disciple of athletes as well as members of NSAs and all disputes between their members.
Reading through the link tells us about the real mandate of BSCP. THE BY-LAWS AND CONSTITUTION OF POC DO NOT LIE.
Whatever claims BSCP and BMPAP have are mostly for survival in business competition. Many of the statements are baloney anyways and all of us know that. BSCP has chosen to do business in its partnership with Raya Sports to step out of its mandate and go into business. This disguise is insulting our intelligence. I don't think Makabenta and company even have salaries working for BSCP.
What is his motivation for sticking it out with BSCP with a court case and all the absence in sacrifices that is due the Filipino pool player?
Raya Sports has to use BSCP accreditation!!!
Again, I boldly predict:
If and when the World 10-Ball of Raya will be successful, all these people behind BSCP will drop this NSA like a hot potato because they will have no use for its accreditation. What will these people do with BSCP when its (headache) mandate is to handle only amateur players and tournaments and to select players for national teams? Without taking advantage of WPA accreditation, it is actually a limiting and compromising position to be in as a producer of local and international tournaments.
Upgrading WPA accreditation to an affiliate tournament organizer like Matchroom Sports' WPC is definitely a more prestigious accreditation that will not need BSCP anymore.
The WPA statement needs to recognize this distinction between pro and amateur in how they accredit organizations. If, in a country, a single association handles both amateur and professional, then there will be no problem. WPA also has to recognize the flaw of how accreditation can unjustly be used in a member country. They have no audit in that.
This Philippine problem is a signal for WPA to give things a second hard look and do something about potential conflict of this nature in other countries. The statement asking factions to settle their differences is too weak a course of action to take because it is obvious that reforms are in order.
What compounds problems is that in reality, almost all the tournaments in our sport are professional in nature. We are not even a member sport in the Olympics!
To side with the current policies and rules of WPA (this "siding" with an amateur organization) is probably traditional, but it will definitely not solve this Philipine problem, as in many other countries.
