First-ever pro billiards league in Philippines aims to revive pool scene

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines, which once served as the mecca of pool, is now home to the country’s first-ever professional billiards league.

With hopes of reviving the long-dormant pool action in the country and further exposing Filipino players to top-level play, founder Hadley Mariano, son of the industry’s icon Perry, has launched the Sharks Billiards Association (SBA) with Chino Trinidad serving as commissioner.

In partnership with the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), the SBA will field four pioneering teams this season, with five players each from the draft pool of over 100 players.

Teams, with partnerships from cities and provinces for a regional taste, will be unveiled before next month before the draft, where anyone with a pro GAB license, including national team players, is eligible to join.

Teams will duke it out in a nine-ball play albeit under a still-to-be-announced format.

“Binuo namin ito na mayroong Filipino culture. Ito ‘yung kultura sa bilyaran. Pag nakita ito ng mga foreigners, makikita nila kung paano ang bilyar sa Pilipinas. Ito ang pinaka-puso ng SBA,” said Mariano, joined by GAB’s Atty. Gino Mallari, during the SBA's launch at the world-class Sharks Billiards and Pool Arena in Quezon City.

Only local players may join the inaugural season, but the SBA is open to including foreign and guest ones for the next seasons to come featuring at least 20 to 30 teams.

The SBA will also require one grassroot or homegrown player from each city partner of the teams to champion the growth of the sport, where the Filipinos are considered one of the best — if not the best.

As a pro league, uniformed salaries for a staple livelihood from here on will be implemented by team owners but there’s more to it than that as the SBA is out to erase the sport’s stigma for money game alone with pride and honor at stake.

“This is a dream as the world’s first and only pro league. Ang laki laki ng bilyar sa Pilipinas at sa buong mundo, wala pala tayong pro league. Ito ang pagkakataon ngayon para ipakita ang dunong ng Pilipino,” said Trinidad, a former basketball commissioner.

“Ito ay pagkakataon para sa next batch of players na patunayan na ang DNA ng mga Pinoy sa bilyar ay natural. Kumbaga, buhay na ng mga Pinoy ang bilyar. Billiard is built for us and the SBA will be built around the players.”

From the legends of Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante to current world 10-ball champion Carlo Biado, it’s only a matter of time for the Philippines to produce another one and SBA is here to make that happen sooner than later.