WHAT better way to pay tribute to one of your town's greatest sons than honoring him with his own portrait?
Artist John Marko David Dadulo did just that for billiards legend Efren "Bata" Reyes as the 19-year-old made a charcoal portrait of his childhood idol and fellow Mexico, Pampanga native.
Dadulo personally handed his 34 x 24-inch masterpiece to Reyes himself last Thursday, in disbelief that he finally gets a chance to meet one of his heroes.
"Wala po akong masabi. Nangiginig po kamay ko. Nung nakita ko po siyang ngumiti sa artwork ko nasabi ko pong sulit ‘yung hardwork na binuhos ko po sa artwork," he said in a Philippine Star report.
Dadulo worked for two months with charcoal pencil and powder to finish his artwork.
He is just one of the millions who were captivated by Reyes' prowess in the pool table as the charismatic cue artist became the unquestionable face of the sport in the country for the better part of the past two decades.
Reyes has been staying in his home in Pampanga during the quarantine period after last capturing the bronze medal in the one-carom cushion event in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019.
In a report released today by Spin.ph, the billiards legend has firmly refuted fake news circulating about his death.
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