Rubilen Amit to stick with billiards
Representing ones country in an international tournament is a good enough reason for Rubilen Amit to stay with billiards despite the continuous leadership dispute in the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP), the sport’s governing body.
The BSCP leadership is being disputed by two groups, one headed by Arturo Ilagan who is recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) with the other led by the World Pool Association-backed faction of Sebastian Chua.
The ugly mess has left the players to make sacrifices as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has distanced itself from supporting the Pinoy cue artists. The leadership dispute forced the PSC to close down BSCP’s training venue located inside the Philippine Center for Sports Medicine.
Still, Amit has kept her desire to play for flag and country saying that is a privilege not every Filipino can have.
“Mahirap din po kaya nagpapasalamat kami kay Mr. Aristeo Puyat dahil siya na ang sumasagot sa aming allowances. Ang mga bagay na ito at ang pagkakaroon ng pagkakataong bigyan uli ng karangalan ang bansa ang siyang nagtutulak sa amin na magsanay pa rin ng husto kahit patuloy ang problema sa (BSCP),” said Amit who along with national women’s coach Boyet Asonto and fellow player Mary Grace Basas attended a sports forum in Manila on Friday.
Amit, who last June became the first world champion in a women’s 10-ball event, is one of 13 top Filipino cue artists who will represent the country in the Laos Southeast Asian Games in December.
The RP squad is said to be the “Dream Team” of Philippine billiards since the line-up is made up of the top cue artists majority of which are world renowned players who have excelled in tough international tournament such as the World Championships.
“This is a dream team made up of the best pool players in the country. I don’t think anybody can lay claim that they can form a much better team that the one we have sent to the POC,” said Asonto, who is the women’s billiards coach.
Alex Pagulayan, Renato Alcano and Efren Reyes – all former world champions – lead the team and will compete in different billiards events in Laos.
Pagulayan will banner the snooker team and he will be competing in the singles and doubles, Alcano will try to defend his 8-ball singles crown that he won in the 2007 Thailand SEAG while Reyes will see action in the English billiards.