Editor’s Take By ROY MEDINA It is inevitable that the ongoing rift between BSCP and BMAP will produce one losing bet – the Philippines     The ongoing rift between two factions in the Philippine billiards scene – the Billiards and Sn

Editor’s Take By ROY MEDINA

It is inevitable that the ongoing rift between BSCP and BMAP will produce one losing bet – the Philippines
 

    The ongoing rift between two factions in the Philippine billiards scene – the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines and the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines – has cast a shadow over medals earned by Filipino cue masters here and abroad.

This rift reached its peak during tournaments that the two groups held simultaneously in Alabang and Mandaluyong from May 6-11.

On one side is the BSCP, the national sports association tasked to develop the country’s billiards pool. It is headed by Yen Makabenta, the man who brought the World Pool Championships franchise to the Philippines in 2006 and 2007.

On the other side, there’s BMAPAP headed by top Filipino cue artists and their managers. Names like Efren “Bata” Reyes, Ronnie Alcano, Perry Mariano and Putch Puyat are among them.

The word war, as news reports have been saying, has gone from bad to worse. The BMAPAP staged its tournament sponsored by Senate President Manny Villar at the same time that the World Pool and Billiards Association-sanctioned Mandaluyong Mayor’s Cup, organized by BSCP, staged the event in Mandaluyong City.

The BSCP says its events are recognized by the WPBA and the Asian Pocket Billiards Union. The BMAP, on the other hand, says it has the right to field players in tournaments of its own liking, since as a professional group, it only recognizes the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) as its governing body.

The GAB, headed by former champion swimmer Eric Buhain, administers pro athletes and groups in the country like the players of the Philippine Basketball Association.

Makabenta stresses that as a national sports association, it is tasked not only to develop the amateur pool but also the professionals. Makabenta’s is the group recognized by the international billiards community. Its mandate deals not only with up-and-coming players but the established ones as well.

Factions and vested interests
As the gap widened, ABS-CBN News sports correspondent TJ Manotoc was dragged into the fray.

Manotoc, who also writes a tech column for this Web site, was accused of bias by  Makabenta’s group. Manotoc said he merely stated the facts he gathered from the field and verified information carried by other reports.

Sports may be a world away from politics but just the same, factions and vested interests make this industry go round.

And like in politics, we have to report both sides.

The BSCP issued statements to air its side. In addition, text messages from BSCP chief Makabenta to abs-cbnNEWS.com helped to clarify their side.

The BMAPAP, through spokesman Edwin Reyes, had its share of the spotlight as Reyes stressed his group’s point during a television interview.

Even Villar -- whom the BSCP accused of sabotaging an international event -- gave radio interviews to explain why he sponsored the tournament that was seen as going head-to-head with the BSCP event.

Philippines loses
They all gave their sides of the story, hopefully, to make issues and things clearer for the billiards fans and the public. Media gave them space and provided them with air time and the chance to answer allegations against each other.

Now, it’s up to the readers to weigh both sides’ answers.  

But the “billiards war” has kicked up a cloud of issues that has overshadowed the two events in the Philippine billiards calendar. In sum, the differences boil down to personality differences and the question of who takes charge in steering the Philippine billiards scene and the development of current and future cue masters.

But billiards, as a sport, is higher than all personalities combined, however big they may be. In the end, billiards will keep on thriving, with or without the personalities.

As the cue ball of Philippine billiards keeps on rolling, no one else but Filipino billiards players themselves are affected, especially since some of them enjoy top rankings in international tournaments.

Billiards comes with a winner and a loser. It is inevitable that the ongoing rift between BSCP and BMAP will produce one losing bet – the Philippines.  

Editor's Take is a column written by editors of abs-cbnNEWS.com and news managers of ABS-CBN. It isour way of  introducing you, dear readers, to the way journalists work. We want to start a dialogue with you--and sustain it.