MANILA, 27 June 2003 — Filipino billiards king Efren “Bata” Reyes, the man known around the world as “The Magician” because of his uncanny skill to make seemingly impossible shots, will be inducted into the prestigious Billiards Congress of America’s Hall of Fame on July 12.
Reyes will become the first Filipino to barge into the US billiards Hall of Fame.
The 1999 World Pool Championship champion will share top billing with American Eddie “Champagne” when he receives the Hall of Fame recognition from the BCA. The award will be a fitting recognition for his pool exploits and for his contributions to the advancement of billiards in the world. Reyes recently captured the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Championship in its Manila Tour via a sensational 11-2 victory over Filipino compatriot Warren Kiamco.
The 47-year-old Angeles City native, is on a winning rampage in the first half of the year. Aside from topping the Manila Tour of the San Miguel tournament, which earned him a hefty $20,000 prize, he also bagged the 2003 Mid-Atlantic 9-Ball championship recently that gave him $15,000.
Reyes also earned a second place finish in the 17th Tour Stop of the Joss NE 9-Ball that netted him $1,800.
Currently, the “Magician” is in sixth spot in the world pool money list with $20,550 excluding the cash prize he earned from the San Miguel 9-Ball Manila Tour.
Reyes, along with Kelly, would be joining Hall of Famers Loree Jon Jones and Jim Rempe, who were both inducted last year as part of the BCA Expo highlight.
Reyes has a long list of achievements in his resume, which included the 1999 World Pool title that triggered the popularity of billiards as a sport in the country.
“Anytime,” said the 49-year-old Reyes when asked about his availability to carry the Philippine colors again despite a hectic schedule in major, cash-rich tournaments abroad. Reyes has captured gold medals in the past SEA Games and took the bronze in the 8-ball singles of the Busan Asian Games last year.
“Reyes” ambitious bid to win three gold medals in Busan suffered an unexpected blow. Asiad organizers work against Reyes as they cut events where the Filipino ace was highly expected to work wonders and dominate. Busan organizers scrapped the 15-ball rotation event that imperiled “Reyes” unprecedented three-gold medal bid.
Reyes, who shared the 2001 Philippine Sportswriters Association’s Athlete of the Year award with Fil-Am golfer Dorothy Delasin, played for the national team in his first Asian Games appearance
Reyes, who earned close to 14 million pesos from his tournament victories last year, scratched off two tournaments in Japan to accommodate the Asiad in his itinerary.
He had wanted his third gold medal to come from the one-cushion carom, but last-minute changes made by organizers in Pusan — balk line instead of the one-cushion event — dealt his goal bid a solid blow.
Reyes and Bustamante wound up the top two money-makers in the US circuit last year.
According to AZBilliards, Reyes earned a total of $126, 200 while Bustamante pocketed $122,200, not counting the incentives from his Busan triumph.
Reyes proved his class with four major tournament victories, including the $50,000 winner-take-all “Challenge of Champions” where he beat 2001 World Pool Champion Mika Immonen in a nerve-wracking, sudden-death, one-rack playoff.
He also successfully defended his World Pool League crown in Warsaw, Poland, took the CafE Puro Challenge of the Masters by beating Bustamante handily in the finals and added the Shooters Labor Day Weekend Open 9-Ball Tournament to his trophy room. He won a total of $215,362 in 2001 and $79,930 in 2000.
