{{use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Putch Puyat | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing [[brackets]] --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = Aristeo G. Puyat | birth_date = <!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} for living people supply only the year with {{Birth year and age|YYYY}} unless the exact date is already widely published, as per [[WP:DOB]]. For people who have died, use {{Birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}}. --> | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) --> | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Sports executive and patron | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }} '''Aristeo "Putch" G. Puyat'''<ref name=forest>{{cite news |title=Ubos sila kay Forest Cover |url=https://balita.mb.com.ph/2018/10/16/ubos-sila-kay-forest-cover/ |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=Balita |date=16 October 2018|language=fil}}</ref> is a Filipino sports executive, businessperson, and racehorse owner who was president of the [[Billiard Sports Confederation of the Philippines]].
==Education== Puyat attended the [[University of the Philippines]] but never obtained a degree having already financial security of his family's business.<ref name=godfather>{{cite news |title=Putch Puyat: The godfather of Philippine billiards |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/publicaffairs/powerhouse/346750/putch-puyat-the-godfather-of-philippine-billiards/story/ |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=GMA News |date=3 February 2014 |language=en}}</ref>
==Background== ===Cue sports=== Putch Puyat's family business, Puyat Sports was known for managing [[bowling]] centers and billiards halls in the [[Philippines]]. His grandfather Gonzalo was an assistant to a Spaniard in [[Intramuros]]. When the Spaniards left the Philippines after the [[Philippine Revolution]], a billiards hall was given to the older Puyat. Gonzalo eventually went to manufacturing billiard tables.<ref name=godfather/>
Putch Puyat started as a clerk in the family business, then became an assistant to his brother, Jose. The brothers later took over the company and started sponsoring players to compete internationally. They clamored for support from the Philippine government but had to deal with the stigma at the time that the discipline was associated with vices and [[betting]].<ref name=godfather/>
Puyat was responsible for billiards popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. He managed the careers of [[Efren Reyes]] and [[Francisco Bustamante]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Naredo |first1=Camille |title=Filipino cue artists need sponsors, says US Open champ Biado |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/22/21/biado-draws-attention-to-lack-of-sponsors-for-ph-billiards |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=ABS-CBN News |date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="kanto">{{cite news |last1=Terrado |first1=Reuben |title=BSCP hopes Biado win a step to erasing billiards tag as 'kanto' sport |url=https://www.spin.ph/billiards/private-sponsors-needed-for-billiards-renaissance-in-ph-say-biado-bscp-a795-20210927 |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=Sports Interactive Network Philippines |date=27 September 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Reyes was already fairly has a reputation in the United States when Puyat started supporting the player.<ref name=godfather/>
Puyat also supported the campaign of the cue players for he [[2005 SEA Games]] hosted in the Philippines.<ref>{{cite news |title=Puyat blasts Raya on players' boycott |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2008/02/09/43594/puyat-blasts-raya-playersrsquo-boycott |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=The Philippine Star |date=9 February 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Reyes |first1=Marc Anthony |title=P150M for RP'S SEAG athletes |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PVg1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=kCUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3199%2C7836038 |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=19 January 2005 |pages=A21-A22}}</ref>
He was elected in July 2012, as the president of the [[Billiard Sports Confederation of the Philippines]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cordero |first1=Abac |title=Puyat elected new billiards president |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2012/07/16/828319/puyat-elected-new-billiards-president |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=The Philippine Star |date=16 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Navarro |first1=June |title=Puyat replaces Ilagan as billiards president |url=https://sports.inquirer.net/52915/puyat-replaces-ilagan-as-billiards-president |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=15 July 2012 |language=en}}</ref> His election was disputed by his predecessor, Arturo Ilagan whose last tenure started in 2009.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yocogan-Diano |first1=Vernie |title=NSA drops Philippine's top billiard players |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/more-articles/nsa-drops-philippines-top-billiard-players |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=SunStar |publisher=SunStar Publishing Inc. |date=8 January 2013 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cordero |first1=Abac |title=Trouble brewing in billiards - again |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2012/07/17/828709/trouble-brewing-billiards-again/ |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=The Philippine Star |date=17 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cordero |first1=Abac |title=Ilagan still billiards president - POC |url=https://qa.philstar.com/sports/2012/07/19/829366/ilagan-still-billiards-president-poc |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=The Philippine Star |date=19 July 2012}}</ref>
===Horse racing=== Puyat was chief of the Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners (Marho) and also owns horses which take part in [[Horse racing|races]].<ref name=forest/><ref>{{cite news |title=Marho unveils Founders' Cup stakes race at Sta. Ana |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3oMVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mgsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1872%2C2552914 |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=Manila Standard |date=24 January 2002 |page=A11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Puyat nangunguna sa mga horse owners |url=https://www.philstar.com/pm-sports/2014/02/19/1292112/puyat-nangunguna-sa-mga-horse-owners |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=The Philippine Star |date=19 February 2014}}</ref> He was inducted the [[Philippine Racing Commission]]'s Hall of Fame in 2023.<ref>{{cite news |title=Horseracing's cream of crop inducted to Hall of Fame |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2023/12/06/2316775/horseracings-cream-crop-inducted-hall-fame |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=The Philippine Star}}</ref>
==Personal life== Puyat plays billiards leisurely.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sibucao |first1=Bernice |title=Inside the home of Putch Puyat |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/publicaffairs/powerhouse/344976/inside-the-home-of-putch-puyat/story/ |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=GMA News |date=22 January 2014 |language=en}}</ref> His daughter Wendy is a fashion designer.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Siazon |first1=Rachelle |title=Owen Wilson spotted with Filipina fashion designer Wendy Puyat |url=https://www.pep.ph/news/local/62490/owen-wilson-spotted-with-filipina-fashion-designer-wendy-puyat?s=ttls35mlgi6is3vmpea3fuf2hh |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=PEP.ph |publisher=Philippine Entertainment Portal, Inc. |date=14 March 2016}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
[[Category:Filipino sports executives and administrators]] [[Category:Cue sports executives]] [[Category:20th-century Filipino businesspeople]] [[Category:Filipino racehorse owners and breeders]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Living people]]