Once again, praise be to Bata Reyes

There’s a report about the Filipino international billiards legend Efren “Bata” Reyes winning a big tournament in the United States.

The report, posted at philboxing.com over the weekend, said Reyes won the “Accu-Stats ‘Make it Happen’ One Pocket Invitational in Sandcastle, New Jersey, last weekend.”

It was posted last Saturday, which means the story was over a week old when it reached its home destination.

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The late reporting would’ve been understandable anywhere else around Asia, but definitely not here at home where Reyes is also considered a national treasure.

We must thank Ronnie Nathanielsz for sharing the happy news.

He must’ve dug deep and long to gather the glowing details of the victory, truly a cause for celebration.

Had he known about it earlier, the veteran broadcaster would’ve filed the report promptly.

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The latest triumph of the graying Bata Reyes may have been notches below his title victory in the World Pool League in Cardiff, Wales, in 1999.

Do remember that the victory in Cardiff eventually translated into a national pool fever.

The glorious shock waves of Reyes’ victory in Cardiff would also lead into the Philippines being hailed as the epicenter of world pool.

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For the record, Reyes has retired, although he didn’t make any fuss about it.

There should’ve been an official announcement fitting his international stature.

Reyes confided that his accuracy suffered after he allowed laser treatment on a bad eye.

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It was just time to quit the big scene, he told this reporter a couple of years back, during the Pagpupugay Awards at Resorts World, which Reyes himself helped put up.

He just kept missing easy shots (“Minsan, nagugulat na lang ako sa bola”), he confided, adding he would just help find other successors.

Of course, it was not mere luck that brought Reyes back into the world pool limelight.

With its invitational format, the Accu-Stats one-pocket tournament brought in big names that included the sensational American pool master Shane Von Boening, Justin Hall, and former world pool champion Alex Pagulayan, a peppery Filipino who makes home in Canada.

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The Reyes-Von Boening title showdown was a classic.

“After a one-pocket mode 2-2 tie, the balls pushed up the table, Reyes, as he has done many times in his illustrious career, eventually banked on magical mom ents to make it happen and win the championship,” Nathanielsz reported.

Job magically well done.

Come home, thank you again, we love and salute you, Mr. Bata Reyes.