BILLIARDS Sports Confederation of the Philippines secretary-general Robert Mananquil is rallying for the inclusion of the sport in collegiate leagues such as the NCAA and UAAP.
“Hopefully, may mga collegiate level na billiards sports at makapasok kami either sa NCAA or sa UAAP,” Mananquil said last Tuesday in the online Philippine Sportswriters Association forum.
“Joining the UAAP or NCAA is a longshot because of, alam mo naman paningin nila sa billiards ay larong kanto na gusto sana namin baguhin,” he added.
Newly-minted US Open champion Carlo Biado echoed Mananquil’s thoughts, saying other countries have schools that have billiards as a sport.
“Kaya nagsisigalingan iyong player sa ibang bansa kasi suportado sila ng sponsor at ng gobyerno tulad ng China, ginagawa na nilang school iyong billiards,” Biado said in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp., Milo, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., and powered by Smart and Upstream Media as official webcast partner.
“Iyong mga magagaling sa Taiwan, napakabata 14 years old, 15 years old ang gagaling. Sumasabay na sa mga tira namin. Iyon ang kulang sa atin sa totoo lang.”
Mananquil said have been talks between the billiards NSA and the Department of Education about including the sport in physical education activities in primary and secondary schools.
