As someone who's spent over a decade in sports journalism and even tried my hand at professional billiards in my younger days, I've always found it puzzling why this beautiful game hasn't made it to the Olympic stage yet. Just last week, I was watching Torren Jones begin his stint as San Miguel import with a victory, the Beermen's second in four games, while dealing the Dyip their fifth defeat. The precision and strategy displayed in that match reminded me exactly why this sport deserves global recognition. The way Jones calculated angles and controlled the cue ball was nothing short of artistic - yet here we are, still waiting for billiards to get its Olympic moment.
The International Olympic Committee has specific criteria that billiards struggles to meet, and I've seen this firsthand covering multiple Olympic cycles. Global participation is one major hurdle - while billiards has about 120 million regular players worldwide according to World Confederation of Billiard Sports data, the sport lacks the broad geographical representation the IOC craves. I remember attending the 2019 World Championships and noticing how European and Asian nations dominated while African representation was minimal. Then there's the governance issue - multiple international bodies sometimes work against each other rather than presenting a unified front to the IOC. The financial requirements are staggering too - Olympic inclusion requires demonstrating sustainable revenue of at least $15-20 million annually across global events, which billiards currently falls short of achieving.
What fascinates me most is how billiards battles perception problems. Many still see it as a barroom pastime rather than a serious sport, despite the incredible athletic demands. I've played both basketball and billiards competitively, and I can tell you the mental focus required in high-stakes billiards matches often exceeds what's needed in many traditional sports. The physical precision is extraordinary - professional players maintain success rates of 85-90% on difficult shots that amateurs would struggle to make once in twenty attempts. Yet the sport continues fighting this image problem that's holding it back from Olympic recognition.
The pathway to Olympic inclusion isn't impossible though - I've watched sports like skateboarding and sport climbing make it by addressing similar challenges. Billiards needs to focus on youth engagement first. When I visit local pool halls today, I see far fewer young players than I did twenty years ago. The sport needs to create compelling junior programs and maybe even introduce faster-paced formats that appeal to shorter attention spans. Television presentation needs dramatic improvement too - the camera angles and commentary often fail to capture the strategic depth that makes billiards so fascinating to play. I'd love to see more behind-the-scenes content showing the intense training regimens and mental preparation these athletes undergo.
Looking at successful Olympic additions like rugby sevens gives me hope. They transformed a traditional sport into a faster, more television-friendly version while maintaining its core integrity. Billiards could learn from this approach - perhaps introducing team formats or shot clocks to increase excitement without sacrificing the cerebral nature that makes the sport special. The financial investment required would be substantial - we're talking about needing to secure at least $50 million in sponsorship commitments to convince the IOC of commercial viability. But seeing talents like Torren Jones demonstrate such mastery reminds me why the effort would be worthwhile. His recent performance with San Miguel showed how compelling elite billiards can be when world-class athletes compete under pressure.
Ultimately, I believe billiards will reach the Olympics within the next 10-15 years if the community addresses these challenges systematically. The sport brings unique qualities that would enrich the Olympic program - it's accessible across ages and physical abilities yet demands extraordinary skill development. As someone who's both played and covered this sport for years, I'm convinced that once people experience Olympic-level billiards with proper production values and storytelling, they'll wonder why it took so long to include it. The journey will require significant work, but watching players like Jones execute under pressure proves the sport has the dramatic potential the Olympics needs.