Efren the GOAT: Euro pool star, Team Asia foe Alcaide pays homage to Reyes Cup figurehead
MANILA, Philippines – All sports have influential figures tabbed as the greatest of all time, or GOAT — there’s Michael Jordan in basketball, Muhammad Ali in boxing, Wayne Gretzky in ice hockey, and many more.
In billiards, there is the Philippines’ very own Efren “Bata” Reyes, who at the ripe age of 70 is still busy coaching Team Asia in the brand-new tournament created in his name, the 9-ball Reyes Cup.
Reyes’ influence in the world of pool has been widespread for decades, with likely all other Filipino cue artists — and a good number abroad, as well — who came after him crafting their careers because of “The Magician’s” success.
One of those international sensations today is Spain’s David Alcaide, currently ranked seventh in the world and part of Team Europe, tormentors of Team Asia in the Reyes Cup.
In a short, but heartfelt Facebook post, the 45-year-old star and two-time World Pool Masters champion blurred the battle lines and paid a deserved tribute to the ageless legend.
“I started playing billiards watching your videos. You were and are a reference for all of us,” Alcaide wrote. “Today I am lucky to play the first Reyes Cup, thank you.”
Three days into the Reyes Cup, Alcaide has been locked in along with his fellow top-ranked stars like world No. 3 Jayson Shaw and fellow Spaniard Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, giving Team Asia a real run for its money as evidenced by a 5-0 reverse sweep in the opening team match of Day 1.
The underdog Asian delegation, however, is on an unexpected roll on home territory, steamrolling to an astounding 4-0 match sweep in Day 2 and charging ahead with a 7-2 record in the race-to-11 tournament.
Alcaide and the rest of Team Europe have a golden opportunity to bounce back and make the race a lot more interesting as Day 3 kicks off Thursday night, October 17, with at least four matches in store for the ever-enthusiastic Manila crowd at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. – Rappler.com