SBA Next Kicks Off, Opening New Pathway for Filipino Billiards Talent

The Sharks Billiards Association (SBA) officially launched SBA Next on Tuesday, July 28, marking the beginning of a new developmental league designed to discover the country's next generation of billiards stars. Building on SBA's mission to elevate billiards as a mainstream professional sport, SBA Next gives promising Filipino players a platform to sharpen their game, gain greater exposure, and showcase their talent to audiences in the Philippines and around the world.

"SBA Next is about creating opportunities for talented players who may not yet have had the chance to compete on a bigger stage," said SBA Founder and CEO Hadley Mariano. "There is so much undiscovered billiards talent across the country. Through this league, we want to find these players, help them grow, and give them a platform where the Philippines — and eventually the world — can see what they can do."

The competition has two brackets: the Independent Bracket, composed of 84 aspiring players who qualified through tryouts, and the Stable Bracket, featuring Badkoi Stable — managed by world champion Johann Chua and owned by Jarvin Cua — and Fury Stable, managed and owned by Adrian Oquindo and Mark Chan. Independent players will compete through elimination rounds until the field narrows to the Top 10, who will form the draft pool for the two stables, while Badkoi and Fury compete for points, with the top stable earning home-court advantage in the Finals and the first pick in the draft. The competition culminates in a best-of-seven championship series.

"We know that the next Filipino world champion could be waiting for the right opportunity," said Co-Founder and CFO George Ho. "SBA Next is our way of opening that door and showing every aspiring player that there is a clear path forward if they have the talent, discipline, and determination to compete."

SBA Next matches will be streamed starting August 4, 2026 through the official Sharks Billiards Association Facebook and YouTube pages, together with SBA's broadcast partners.