While Paeng is
recognized as the finest Filipino athlete, Efren "Bata" Reyes is undoubtedly the
most admired Filipino champion. A 1999 survey conducted by local poll firm
Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that "the Magician" is the sports
personality most admired by Filipinos.
Bata's magic can be attributed to his humility and his sheer delight in
associating with the common tao. His charm can also be credited to the fact that
he has been a world champion for many times and is considered the finest
billiard player of all time.
In 1995, Bata was ranked as the world's number 1 billiard player. Least known
among his exploits is the fact that Bata is a four-time World 8-Ball champion.
It is said that nobody could rival Bata's strategy in the 8-ball. In 1999, he
clinched the World 9-Ball Championship in Wales, proving that he is an
all-around billiard player.
Because of his exploits in Wales, his two gold medals in the 20th Southeast
Asian Games in Brunei, and five other major international titles all in one
year, Bata received the Athlete of the Year in 1999. For the second time, he was
named Athlete of the Year for his exploits in 2001.
In its December 21, 2001 issue, the prestigious Time Magazine has included Reyes
in its roster world's best in sports and described him as the Philippines' "sole
bona fide international sports superstar".
Aside from the World 8-Ball and Word 9-Ball championships, other international
tournaments he has bagged since 1985 include the Tokyo 9-Ball Tournament, the
World League Title, International Challenge of Champions 9-Ball Classic, First
Masters 9-Ball Championship, Pro-Tour Championship, Derby City One-Pocket, Camel
Pro 8-Ball, Masters 9-Ball, among others. In 1995, the US magazine "Billiards
Digest" named him as the Player of the Year.
Bata Reyes, who is still an active player, was born in Pampanga in 1953.
Francisco "Django" Bustamante
In 1998, Django
Bustamante, who has the most smashing break in billiards, was considered the
world's number one billiard player because of the string of victories he won in
the United States, Europe, Japan and the Philippines. The US magazine "Billiards
Digest" also named him as the Player of the Year for 1998.
Django has bagged the World Pool Masters Championship twice (1998 and 2001).
Other international tournaments he has won over the years include the Camel Pro
Billiards Series, ESPN Champion of Champions, Japan Open 9-ball event, Peninsula
9-Ball Open, Riviera Hotel Pro- 8-Ball Open Championship in Las Vegas, All-Japan
Championship, and IBC 9-Ball.
Despite the death of her young daughter, Bustamante placed second behind Earl
Strickland of the United States in the World 9-Ball Championship held in
Cardiff, Wales in July 2002. In October of the same year, Django together with
Antonio "Nikoy" Lining won a gold medal in the 9-ball doubles event of the Asian
Games in Busan, South Korea.
Django was born in Tarlac in 1964 and is based in Germany.
Billiards has produced two Asiad gold medals for the Philippines. In the 1998
Bangkok Asian Games, Romeo Villanueva and Gandy Valle brought home the country's
only gold medal, after capturing the 9-ball doubles event title. On October 7,
2002, Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Antonio "Nikoy" duplicated the feat by
winning the 9-ball doubles event at the 14th Asian Games held in Busan, South
Korea.
Aside from Bata and Django, the Philippines teems with world billiards
champions. Jose "Amang" Parica, for example, was the number one pool player in
the US in 1997. Other champions include Edgar Acaba, Dodong Andam, Lee Van
Corteza, Ramon del Rosario, Ramil Gallego, Warren Kiamco, Antonio "Nikoy"
Lining, Rodolfo Luat, Dennis Orcullo, Alex Pagulayan, Santos Sambajon, and Romeo
Villanueva.
