The Asian Confederation of Billiard Sport (ACBS) has officially suspended the Billiard Sports Confederation of the Philippines (BSCP) and assigned the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) to temporarily oversee the sport for the next three months.

The Qatar-based ACBS, in a letter dated March 9, informed the POC of its decision, citing several governance violations by the BSCP. The suspension was decided during an ACBS board meeting on February 18 in Doha and was ratified the following day.

Reasons for BSCP’s suspension

In the letter addressed to POC secretary-general Atty. Wharton Chan, the ACBS listed multiple violations committed by the BSCP, including:

• Conflicts of interest within the organization
• Failure to hold elections for an extended period
• Organizing international tournaments without approval from Asian or world governing bodies
• Neglecting the welfare of national billiard athletes

As a result, the ACBS instructed the POC to form a disciplinary committee to investigate the violations and governance issues surrounding the BSCP.

POC assumes temporary leadership of Philippine billiards

Following the ACBS directive, the POC officially notified the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) about the suspension and its new role in managing Philippine billiards during the investigation.

“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 in a letter to PSC chairman Richard Bachmann.

Impact on international tournaments

The ACBS emphasized that the BSCP’s suspension will not exceed three months while the disciplinary committee conducts its investigation.

The POC has also been tasked with ensuring that Filipino billiards players qualified for international competitions, particularly the World Games in Chengdu, China, from August 7 to 17, 2025, are properly supported.

“Please inform us of your approval of the terms of your acceptance to assume the duties of the federation temporarily to preserve the interests of billiard players in the Philippines,” the ACBS stated in its letter.

The future of Philippine billiards governance now hinges on the outcome of the disciplinary committee’s investigation, which could determine whether BSCP’s leadership will be restructured or replaced entirely.