National Billiards League finds new home

The National Billiards League (NBL) has found a home for its much-awaited inaugural season next year.

The AMF-Puyat Bowling Inn and Billiards in Malate, Manila is undergoing a P2.5-million renovation to make it a state-of-the-art venue for the world’s first season-long professional league.

Located on Taft Ave., between Quirino and Remedios, Bowling Inn, as it is popularly known, will sport a lively set-up as the proponents of the league want it to be more than just a plain billiards competition, but also to provide fascinating entertainment.

“The NBL is definitely a go,” said Philippine pool godfather Aristeo “Putch” Puyat. “We may have failed to meet our initial target date to start it because we want to make sure that we’ll cover all the bases before we launch it, but there’s really no turning back.”

“In fact, all of us, especially the players, are all excited to begin this new era of Philippine billiards,” added the Puyat Sports top honcho.

The NBL, a brainchild of Puyat, who conceive it almost a decade ago, is nearing completion, thanks to the support of fellow billiards patrons Perry Mariano of Bugsy Promotions and Jonathan Sy of the Negros Billiards Stable, and officials of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines.

According to Mariano, the next step will be he distribution of players to the participating corporate teams through a draft scheduled on the first week of January.

“There will be eight teams with six players each, so a total of 48 players, not counting the reserves, will have a regular income. That would make billiards really a professional sport,” said Mariano.

“As I’ve said before, the NBL will be the next big thing in Philippine sports entertainment,” added Mariano.

Patterned after the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the NBL will have the country’s top cue artists, led by billiards legend Efren “Bata” Reyes, fellow former world champions Ronnie Alcano and Alex Pagulayan and current world No.1 Dennis Orcollo, along with a bunch of up and coming stars playing for corporate teams in a season-long team competition.

Just like the PBA, the NBL will also have the fledging Solar Sports as its broadcast partner.