First, the World Pool Championships.
Now, the Philippines is making its mark in the global billiard circuit with the creation of the first ever professional league thru the Sharks Billiard Association.
In the absence of a comprehensive program for all the cue artists in the country and a platform that would allow our pool players to showcase their talent even more, SBA founder and chief executive officer Hadley Mariano decided to put up this league to allow the best and the brightest players as well as the rising stars an opportunity to take their game to the next level by competing in a regular tournament.
“We’ll be unveiling a new sports league — the SBA. This will be the world’s first billiard league. Sharks started 2020. We started as an amateur league and as we grew, we slowly opened our doors to professional players,” said Mariano.
Mariano is the son of well-known pool manager Perry Mariano, who handled the careers of several world pool champions like two-time world titlists Ronnie Alcano and Carlo Biado and Dennis Orcollo.
The Marianos started in the pool industry while handling Bugsy’s Promotions, until Hadley decided to carry on what they created and put up Sharks.
The SBA will be managed by Chino Trinidad, who was appointed as commissioner of this fledgling league that aims to come up with a program whole-year round and come up with tournaments that will serve as breeding ground of players while they prepare to compete in the world pool circuit.
Trinidad is no stranger to handling leagues, having served as commissioner of the Philippine Basketball League.
“Napakalaking honor sa akin na mabigyan ng responsibility to achieve Hadley’s dream of creating the first and only professional league in the world,” said Trinidad. “Imagine ang laki-laki ng bilyar sa buong mundo, pero wala pa tayong professional league. So itong gagawin ni Hadley sa Shark’s, ito ang pagkakataon para sa mga players para ipakita ang dunong ninyo.”
With the creation of the SBA, the group will also be able to somehow change the image of billiard and make it a one true sport.
“Nai-stigmatized ang billiard kasi ang naiiisip kaagad ng mga tao about dito is sugal,” added Trinidad. “Itong mga players ngayon, magkakaroon ng pagkakataon para maipakita nila na yung bansa ng Pilipinas ay nakapag-produce ng seven world champions.”
To take away the gambling element, the SBA management made sure that all players participating in this tournament will receive salaries from their respective teams.
“First thing that we’re going to do is the drafting of players, which will be held probably a month from now,” said Mariano. “In the next press conference, we’re going to announce the four teams that will compete, who will be the team owners and ano pangalan ng teams at saang lugar sila nakadikit.”
“Next announcement is the drafting. Each team would have five players. After the announcement of the draft, then we will announce when will be the start of the league.”
This means that all players will have their regular monthly salaries to be paid by the teams.
“Magandang opportunity ito para sa kanila kasi nga, kung wala kang pambayad ng entry fee mo, paano ka lalabas (ng bansa)? Lalabas ka ng bansa, magkano matitira sa iyo? Kung papasok ka doon sa placing na mayroon kang guaranteed money. Eh magkano minimum? For example punta ka ng America. Magkano VISA. Magi-entry fee ka. Ang laki ng gagastusin mo. Magkano matitira sa iyo? Yun eh kung mananalo ka, eh paano kung bokya ka, uuwi ka ng luhaan,” said Trinidad.
‘Kaya yung mga players, nagsusugal,” added Mariano.
According to Trinidad, disassociating billiard to gambling is difficult, but at least they’re trying to find ways to provide players a venue where they can focus on playing as a career rather than playing to gamble.
“Ano ang nagpupuwersa sa ating mga bata para maglaro at isugal yung pera nila is because wala silang opportunity,” Trinidad added. “Itong SBA, ito yung opportunity para sa kanila. Ito ang opportunity para magkaroon sila ng regular at sustainable na kita. The stakes here is they’re going to play all out. Hindi sila puwedeng lumaro dito na parang berdegana. All out ang laro dito for them.”
‘Para maging sustainable ito, lahat ng laro, i-expect natin, yung more than skills nila kasi para sa kanila ito. This was built for the players and this is meant to be played for the best players in the world na nagkataon na andito sa Pilipinas. Kaya makikita natin ang ganda nito. There’s no way that this will not take off.”