Puyat blasts Raya on players’ boycott

Billiards patron Aristeo “Putch” Puyat yesterday debunked claims of Raya Sports that he had devised the boycott of players in various international competitions to pressure the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) to give in to his demands.

“For the record, I have never made any demand from the BSCP as I needed nothing from them. To my recollection, the problem was between the players and some BSCP officials,” Puyat said in a statement.

Puyat was reacting to Raya Sports claims that he planned a boycott of players in the Asian Games and SEA Games in the last 20 years because of certain demands and that he is using it now against Raya Sports.

“It is regrettable that Yen Makabenta, through his managing director JP Fenix, has stooped so low as to accuse me of this. But it is our sponsored players who make their own decisions,” said Puyat.

He added that it is a “sad reflection of Makabenta’s condescending attitude towards the players to brand them as order takers from me and other managers.”

“Over the years of playing billiards all over the world, they have developed a keen sense of judgment and savvy not to follow blindly any order from anyone,” said Puyat.

This came about after the country’s top players, led by Efren “Bata” Reyes and Django Bustamante formed the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), and announced their plan to boycott the Raya-organized tournaments.

Puyat also pointed out that he actually joined and helped reorganize the BSCP in 2005 when he took charge in the selection and training of the billiards team as designated by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo for the SEA Games where the RP bets won six gold medals, courtesy of Alex Pagulayan and Rubilen Amit, who claimed three each.

He also clarified Makabenta’s claims that it was he who promoted the Negros Oriental International 9-ball Championship, saying the event was organized by Jonathan Sy, one of the biggest patrons of billiards players today.

“No matter how he denigrates the event, it was a great pioneering effort and Mr. Sy should be commended for it. It was the first event in the Visayas wherein at least eight former world champions participated,” said Puyat.

He also set the record straight that the World Pool Championship, which the country has hosted the past two years, is an event produced by Matchroom Sports and that Makabenta’s Raya Sports has only played host to it.

But the BMPAP has questioned Makabenta’s dual position as chair of the BSCP and head of Raya, a conflict of interest that the new pool group is up against.