WHERE, where, where was Efren "Bata" Reyes?
"The Magician" finally showed up in the final day of the Philippines Open Pool Championship on Saturday at Gateway Mall in Cubao and delighted the crowd to an exhibition match with kumpare Francisco "Django" Bustamante.
It's a very much welcome sight for the fans to see Reyes in the flesh after the legend pulled off a disappearing act in the competition where he was supposed to play Ramir Sarmiento in the first round and world champion Carlo Biado in the Last 64.
But as the case for 71-year-olds like him, it was just a conscious decision for him to take a rest for his own well-being.
"Wala, medyo nagkaroon ng [masamang] pakiramdam eh. Hindi talaga kayang gumalaw," he shared. "Kagaya ngayon, hindi pa pwede kasi hinihingal pa ako. Kaya nagpahinga na muna ako."
'Bata,' 'Django' join in on the fun
Reyes' 3-2 win over Bustamante hardly mattered, as the Filipino billiards legends delighted the crowd with their array of trick shots, with "Bata" capping off the short session with a four-rail bank shot to pot the 9.
Ever the showman, Reyes promised that the public has not seen the last of them this year, hyping up an upcoming pool event come December.
"Apat kami," said Reyes, pointing to him, Bustamante, Ralf "The Kaiser" Souquet of Germany, and longtime rival Earl "The Pearl" Strickland.
"Kami kaming matatanda," chimed in Bustamante.
We guess everyone's gonna wait for that next trick up "Bata's" sleeve.
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