The story of the poor Pampanga lad who learned to play the game by working as a poll hall gaffer or “assistant”, inspired countless others, wanting to be the next Bata Reyes.
The story of how the impish kid, using a cue sick much taller than he is, but able to play the game and defeat full-grown men, and the story of how he got his “Bata” name (because an older Efren Reyes was also playing at the same pool hall) is now legendary.
Even at past 50, his story of buckling the odds and continuing to remain competitive in a sport that has just recently reached mainstream acceptance, continue to draw the admiration of a global fan base.
He won countless tournaments both here and abroad, and in several instances has represented and carried the Philippine flag in prestigious international stints such as the Asian Games and SEAGames.
His most prominent and memorable win at the world 9-ball championship at Cardiff Wales in 2001, only cemented his legendary status, coming back from an early deficit to eventually capture the championship in a stunning fashion.
He is a consummate professional, quite, humble in victory and gracious in defeat.
With a toothless grin and a casual shrug, he often refuses to acknowledge that he is perhaps one of the most important reasons why billiards in the Philippines and across the globe has reached unprecedented popularity.
The Magician is Born
Armed with a cue stick, Bata Reyes dominated the Philippine pool scene, in an era where Philippine pool halls have been unfairly branded as smoke-filled gambling lairs.
After getting his ears wet through countless encounters with the more established veterans, he defeated local pool experts, one by one, shuttling from one tournament to another. Inevitably, his talent proved to be too much for local shores, and soon after the name Bata Reyes became a feared opponent who doesn’t seem to known how to lose.
With the guidance of a manager and handler, Bata Reyes set his sights to a more lucrative playground; the US.
Bata Reyes inconspicuously arrived in the US sometime in the 1980s, wanting to test his mettle against foreign players.
The Filipino player shook the US pool scene with never-before seen cue artistry and shot-making abilities.
American pool sharks, or bar-room experts, are often left bewildered and befuddled by the way this Filipino player has made mincemeat out of the competition. American professionals were pitted against the non-English speaking player from Asia, falling one by one on the wayside.
Bata Reyes’ way of making game-winning shots with genius precision, and with ease, prompted experts and analysts to give him the moniker “The Magician”, for his uncanny ability to make shots that is beyond explanation.
Nemesis
So superior is Bata Reyes� game that at one point, his managers had to change his name fearing that no one in the US would want to face him.
Bata Reyes himself would say that he needed the exposure and that changing his name was the only way for him to secure matches in the US.
Bata Reyes would soon come face to face with Earl “The Pearl” Strickland, the brash and loquacious American player, who seemed to be the perfect anti-thesis to The Magician’s quite demure.
Strickland, himself a legend in billiards, proved to be a worthy opponent for Bata Reyes, often squared off with the Filipino on many tournament finals, building what is to be a celebrated rivalry in all of billiards.
The unforgettable duel that the two players put forth on numerous occasions proved to be a catalyst on the re-mergence of billiards as truly global sport. But even “The Pearl” would soon say that Bata Reyes is the best in the world.
The Future for Bata
Even after being included at the US “Hall of Fame” of billiards, the only Filipino and one of the first Asian to be included in the list, Bata Reyes’ legendary run as a world-class player, has yet to reach its end.
Despite a recent bout with arthritis and bad eyesight last year, Bata Reyes continues to weave his magic, winning tournament after tournament. However, after a minor corrective surgery, The Magician is back, and is again on the winning track.
His story of continually able to fend off competition from local and foreign players, all wanting to have the honor of playing and perhaps defeating the world’s greatest cue artist, gave inspiration not only to homegrown talents but also to his few peers.
Players from billiard powerhouses US, Europe, and Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong, all recognize that there will never be another Bata Reyes.
But even Bata Reyes recognizes that competition has gotten stronger, with the emergence of young and very talented Filipino and foreign players all aiming to duplicate his feats.
The Magician can still flash his world-famous toothless grin knowing that his successor is likely to be another Filipino
Tags: Efren Bata Reyes, Philippine Billiards, SEA Games
