One of the greatest pool players in Efren "Bata" Reyes expresses his excitement to see Team Asia perform on the world stage with the inaugural Reyes Cup.
Philippine billiards icon Efren “Bata” Reyes beamed with joy ahead of the inaugural Reyes Cup, named after himself, which will pit the greatest cue artists from Asia against a team of players from Europe in a four-day tournament beginning Tuesday.
Set to unfurl at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, the competition will be featuring a wide array of talent from both Asia and Europe as they settle the score in a team format competition in the coming days.
Similar to the famed Mosconi Cup, Reyes said that it was his honor to be the namesake of the tournament — where he will also be captaining Team Asia.
“Etong pagkakaroon ng Reyes Cup na ito, nasisiyahan ako dahil itong Reyes Cup na to pinangalan pa sakin, ngayon lang siguro mangyayari sa 'kin 'to,” quipped Reyes with his signature smile during the press conference on Monday.
“Pero lahat 'yan, idea ng boss ko, ni boss [Putch] Puyat, at saka nila Emily [Frazer], kaya nagkaro'n ng Reyes Cup na 'to kasi nagkakaron din ng Mosconi Cup, bakit dito walang ganun? Bakit sila lang naglalaro?”
[RELATED: Hanoi Open winner Johann Chua eager to show Asia’s mettle in Reyes Cup]
The billiards legend spoke about the need to find corporate sponsors that will invest in showcasing the sport.
Through Puyat Sports and Matchroom Pool, an elite 9-ball tournament will be happening in Philippine shores for the first time in more than a decade. Though he won’t be competing in it himself, Reyes had nothing but full support and excitement for the competition.
“Eh kaya nga kasi dati, dun lang lagi maraming sponsor sa kanila. Eh dito, nagkakaron na tayo ng mga sponsor, kamukha ni boss [Putch] na nakapaghanap kaya nagkaron. Saka eto, napakaganda nito sakin,” said Reyes.
The 70-year-old also joked about playing in the tournament. Though captaining Team Asia, he won’t be seeing action against the Europeans.
“Akala ko nga na maglalaro ako nine-nerbyos ako eh. Baka mamaya, dito pa ko matalo nakakahiya pa,” he said.
Despite Reyes’ absence on the playing side of things, there won’t be any shortage of talent on Team Asia’s end as they will be bannered by recently crowned Hanoi Open champion Johann Chua and compatriot Carlo Biado.
Joining them are Asia’s top cue artists Aloysius Yapp, Ko Pin Yi, and Duong Quoc Hoang.
Meanwhile, Team Europe is captained by Karl Boyes where he is joined by Jayson Shaw, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Mikey Krause, Eklent Kaci, and David Alcaide.
[RELATED: ‘It’s gonna be great’: Team Europe hopes for electric environment in Reyes Cup]
Hostilities for the Reyes Cup begin on Tuesday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.