Mike Takayama will defend his Billiards Idol title next year.

Buoyed by its highly-successful inaugural season, the Search for the New Billiards Idol has announced its whole calendar for next year beginning with an opening leg on January 18 at the Superman Sports Bar in Libis, Quezon City.

Now considered as the premier grassroots development program of Philippine billiards, this year-round series of tournaments has attracted some 300 aspiring players from all over the country bidding to join the elite circle of world-class Filipino cue artists.

“As I’ve said this is part of the (Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines’) commitment to keep Philippine billiards to its world-class status by discovering new talents,” said BMPAP co-founder Perry Mariano, who conceptualized the event early last year.

“We’re doing it in the absence of a program from those who are supposed to do it,” added Mariano, who also heads the star-studded Bugsy Promotions.

Last year, ‘Billiards Idol’ has had 15 preliminary legs, including provincial stop in Davao and Bacolod, and a Grand Finals featuring 27 top performers from the preliminaries. Mike “the Lightning Kid” Takayama, a 19-year-old Fil-Japanese, bested the strong field of promising stars to emerge as the New Billiards Idol. He also pocketed a P40,000 cash prize sponsored by the Association of Clubs Karaoke and Disco Operators.

Moreover, Takayama will also be seeded in all Villar Cup next year, a reward courtesy of Senator Manny Villar’s VILLARDS: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports.

Other Billiards Idol legs will be on February 22, March 15, April 19, May 17, June 21, July 19, August 16, September 18, October 20, November 22 and December 13.

Each tournament will have a total pot of P20,000, including a lion’s share of P10,000 to the champion.

The entry fee will still be at a token amount of P200.

For more details contact BMPAP secretary-general Gandy Valle at 0916-958-98-97 or the BMPAP secretariat at 0918-488-8624.