Exploring the Reasons Why Billiards Is Not an Olympic Sport and What It Would Take to Change That

Having spent over two decades studying sports governance and Olympic inclusion criteria, I've always found billiards' absence from the Games particularly fascinating. While researching this topic, I came across an interview with professional basketball player Mocon that perfectly captures the mindset billiards needs to adopt. He said, "There's always a chip on my shoulder... I just have to prove, not to anybody, but to myself na I have a value and I can still play at a high level." That exact mentality - this relentless need to prove one's value at the highest level - is precisely what the billiards community must embrace if we ever hope to see our sport on the Olympic stage.

Let's start with the obvious question: why isn't billiards in the Olympics already? The International Olympic Committee has some pretty strict criteria, and billiards struggles with several key requirements. First, there's the issue of global participation. The IOC typically requires a sport to have federation representation in at least 75 countries across four continents for men's sports and 40 countries across three continents for women's. While the World Confederation of Billiard Sports claims membership from nearly 120 nations, the reality is that competitive participation remains heavily concentrated in Europe and Asia. When you look at the actual number of countries producing world-class players, that number drops significantly to maybe 30-35 nations with genuine competitive depth. Then there's the television appeal factor - the IOC loves sports that translate well to broadcast. While billiards has its moments of drama, the slow, methodical nature of championship matches doesn't always make for compelling prime-time viewing compared to swimming or gymnastics. I've attended numerous world championship events, and even as a devoted fan, I'll admit some matches can test your patience when players engage in extended safety battles.

The gender equality requirement presents another significant hurdle. The IOC has been pushing hard for 50/50 gender representation across all sports, and billiards still has work to do here. While women's professional tours exist, they often receive less prize money, fewer sponsorship opportunities, and limited media coverage compared to the men's game. I remember speaking with a female professional player last year who told me she had to work two jobs while competing internationally because the prize money simply wasn't sufficient. This disparity makes it difficult to present billiards as a truly inclusive sport to the IOC committee members. There's also the perception issue - many still view billiards as more of a recreational activity than a serious sport. I've lost count of how many times I've had to explain to people that professional players maintain rigorous training regimens, often practicing 6-8 hours daily, working with sports psychologists, and following strict physical conditioning programs. The athletic demands might be different from track and field, but the mental endurance required is extraordinary.

So what would it actually take for billiards to overcome these barriers? Based on my analysis of recently added sports like skateboarding and sport climbing, billiards needs a fundamental rebranding. These new Olympic sports succeeded because they presented youthful, dynamic images that appealed to younger demographics. Billiards needs to shed its smoky pool hall image and emphasize its modern, competitive nature. The recent success of streaming platforms broadcasting major tournaments to over 2.3 million concurrent viewers shows the potential is there. We also need to address the governance issues - the various cue sports need to present a united front under the World Confederation of Billiard Sports rather than the current fragmented approach where pool, snooker, and carom often operate as separate entities. From my conversations with IOC members, this lack of unified governance is a major red flag for them.

The financial aspect cannot be overlooked either. Adding a new sport requires significant investment in venue construction and organization. While billiards tables are relatively inexpensive compared to some Olympic facilities, the IOC would still need to see a compelling return on investment through broadcast rights and sponsorship. Here's where I think billiards has an advantage it's not leveraging enough - the sport's global broadcast potential across multiple time zones. Major tournaments already attract sponsorship from companies like Aramith and Simonis, but we need bigger names from outside the industry. If we could secure commitments from global brands similar to what Red Bull has done with extreme sports, that would significantly strengthen our case.

Having attended multiple Olympic Games as an observer, I've seen firsthand how new sports capture the committee's imagination. What often tips the scale is what I call the "wow factor" - those moments that become instant highlights and social media sensations. Billiards needs to package itself better to create these moments. The recent World Cup of Pool showed how team events with national representation can generate incredible excitement and drama. If we could develop more formats like this that emphasize national pride and quick-paced action, we'd have a much stronger case. I'm particularly excited about potential mixed-gender team events, which would perfectly align with the IOC's gender equality goals while creating unique competitive dynamics.

Looking at the practical timeline, the earliest we could realistically see billiards in the Olympics would be 2032, given the IOC's seven-year advance notice requirement for new sports. The process would require coordinated lobbying, demonstrable growth in youth participation (we'd need to show at least 15% annual growth in junior programs worldwide), and probably some compromises on format. We might need to accept a reduced medal event slate initially - perhaps just men's and women's nine-ball rather than multiple disciplines. Personally, I believe starting small would be better than not starting at all. The exposure from even two medal events would revolutionize the sport's profile and funding.

The journey toward Olympic inclusion reminds me of that Mocon quote - it's about proving our value, primarily to ourselves first. The billiards community needs to develop that same chip on its shoulder, that same determination to demonstrate we belong among the world's premier sporting events. We have the numbers, we have the global reach, and we certainly have the skilled athletes. What we need now is the coordinated effort to present our best case to the world. I've seen how Olympic inclusion transformed sports like taekwondo and badminton, and I have no doubt billiards would experience similar growth. The path won't be easy, but with strategic planning and unified effort, I believe we'll eventually see players competing for Olympic medals in our sport. The value has always been there - we just need to prove it to everyone else.