Sharp eyes.
Great shots amazed the crowd.
His happy expression has become a trademark.
Few would think that he is about to turn 68.
Efren “Bata” Reyes. Some call him a wizard, some call him a magician, but the most fitting title for the player born in 1954 in the Philippines is “the greatest pool player of all time”.
Coming to SEA Games 31 in the twilight of his career was enough to create a stir at the Ha Dong Gymnasium.
Reyes competes in two events at SEA Games 31: carom 1 tape and carom 3 tape, neither of which are his forte.
He got off to a slow started and trailed his Thai opponent early on, but he still knew how to bring some magic at the right time and finished with the win, to the amazement of the crowd his opponent, and moved on to the semi-finals in the carom 1 tape event.
During his time at the top of the game, Efren won more than 100 international titles, an achievement that all contemporary pool players aspire to./.
