By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports (ACBS), the sport’s Asian governing body, is temporarily suspending the Billiards Sports Confederation of the Philippines (BSCP) following the approval of the former’s ACBS Board of Directors’ decision during the General Meeting held last Feb. 19.
In a communication sent to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) addressed to secretary general Wharton Chan and dated March 9, ACBS secretary general Michael Al Khoury informed of the temporary suspension “for a period not exceeding three months pending the completion of the committee’s work.”
Among the ACBS’ recommendations is for the POC to form a disciplinary committee to investigate the alleged violations of the BSCP. It also assigned the POC with the tasks of the BSCP throughout the suspension period in taking care of the needs of its national athletes and coaches, especially to follow up on the files of players qualified to participate in international tournaments, most notably the World Games in Chengdu, China on Aug. 7 to 17.
With the development, POC has written to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) regarding the situation.
“With this decision, the POC shall temporarily assume the tasks of the BSCP, including the supervision of arrangements and entitlements for national athletes under Billiard Sports, during the period of suspension,” Chan wrote PSC chairman Richard Bachmann.
ACBS also said the temporary suspension date will start from the date of POC’s approval of the content of the letter. It will also inform the POC about the outcomes of the disciplinary committee investigation in due time.
Listed in the POC records, BSCP is headed by its president Aristeo “Putch” Puyat with Roberto Mananquil as secretary general.
