AJ Manas understands the tremendous opportunity given his way after being selected to be part of Team Asia in the Reyes Cup 2025.
But rather than cower under immense pressure, the 19-year-old cue artist from Antipolo City is just enjoying this ride as he gets a chance to rub elbows and learn from some of the continent's best.
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“I'm proud to be part of Team Asia. It's an incredible honor for me to be part of the Reyes Cup and to be part of Team Asia," he said.
Manas, who has built a cult-like following online, feels humbled to wear the same uniform as the likes of the legend Francisco "Django" Bustamante, two-time World Pool Champion Carlo Biado, and US Open champion Aloysius Yapp in the four-day event starting on Thursday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
"This is one of my biggest dreams," he said, believing this callup already overshadows his victories in the 2023 Hanoi Junior Open and the 2024 WNT 99 Tournament.
Being the youngest, Manas admitted feeling the nerves on the eve of the competition. But he also shared how big of a help his teammates are when it comes to his preparations.
"I'm excited and a little bit pressured, but we'll try to get that trophy," he said. "We have the best coach in coach Django, we have Carlo Biado, we have Aloysius Yapp, Johann Chua, and Duong [Quoc Hoang]. So I'm excited to get out there and Team Rest of the World need to be ready for us.”
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