Pangarap na National Billiards League magkakaroon na ng katuparan

Inaasahang ang 2009 ay magiging matagumpay na taon para sa Philippine billiards lalo na’t malapit nang magkaroon ng kaganapan ang professional league.

Ang pinakahihintay na National Billiards League (NBL) ay inaasahang magsisimula na sa kaagahan ng taong ito dahil malapit nang matapos ang final preparation para sa inaugural season.

“We are all excited. The players, the managers, and the rest of the billiards community are all ecstatic to see the birth of the league that would elevate the sport of billiards to new heights,” sabi ni Perry Mariano, cofounder ng Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP).

“As I’ve been saying before, the NBL would be the next big thing in Philippine sports entertainment, and it will start the new era of Philippine billiards,” dagdag ni Mariano, na pinuno din ng starstudded Bugsy Promotions, isa sa pinakamalaking billiards stable sa bansa at posibleng maging sa buong mundo.

Halaw sa Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), maglalaro sa NBL ang mga top cue artists ng bansa sa pangunguna nina billiards legend Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes, ang kanyang kasangga at former World No. 1 Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante, kapwa former world champions Ronnie Alcano at Alex Pagulayan at current world no.1 Dennis Orcollo, kasama ang mga grupo ng mga up and coming stars para sa corporate teams sa seasonlong team competition.

Sa di inaasahang pagkakataon, tulad ng PBA, ang Solar Sports din ang magiging broadcast partner ng NBL.

Sa inaugural season, magkakaroon ng walong teams ang NBL na may anim na players at maglalabanlaban sa singles, doubles, team at trick shots competitions.

Lalaruin ang NBL sa AMF-Puyat Bowling Inn and Billiards Center sa Malate, Manila sa Taft Avenue na sumasailalim sa P2.5-million renovation para maging state-of-the-art venue para sa kaunaunahang seasonlong professional league sa buong mundo.

“The NBL is definitely a go,” pahayag ng Philippine pool godfather na si 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.”

Ang NBL ay binuo ni Puyat, at malapit na itong magkaroon ng katuparan sa tulong nina Mariano at Jonathan Sy ng Negros Billiards Stable at ng BMPAP members.