New national billiards/pool body rises

MANILA, Philippines —  Pool legends Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante and carom ace Francisco de la Cruz banner the coaching staff of the newly-formed national sports association National League for Billiard Sports of the Philippines (NLBSPh).

The NLBSPh replaced the Billiards Sports Congress of the Philippines (BSCP), which the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports suspended for its failure to hold regular elections and conflicts of interest.

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) took over as “caretaker” of the NSA until the BSCP eventually failed to comply to instructions from its continental confederation, leading to its dissolution as a duly-recognized federation of the POC.

“We are very serious in bringing back the luster of Filipino billiards,” said NLBSPh president Atty. Wharton Chan, also secretary-general of the POC, during the NLBSPh’s general assembly at the Solaire Theater in Pasay City on Wednesday.

POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino personally graced the historic NLBSP’s first general assembly, fully backing the group as they lock their sights on upcoming international battles like the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games this year.