source: Reuben Terrado | businessmirror.com.ph

EFREN “BATA” REYES returns to Southeast Asian (SEA) Games confident that he can break his gold-medal drought in the biennial meet.

“Nakita mo naman ang laro, katatapos lang,” said Reyes on Friday.

The former world pool champion was referring to the tournament he recently won with Rubilen Amit, the first World Mixed Doubles Championship in Quezon City.

With the absence of basketball in the SEA Games, focus will be on Reyes, the biggest star in the delegation.

While Reyes is a consistent winner in international and local professional events, it has been quite a while since he won in the biennial meet—he last won in the 15-ball singles and doubles events of the 1999 Brunei SEA Games.

He also triumphed 12 years ago when he won three gold medals in the 1987 SEA Games in Jakarta in the snooker doubles, English billiards and local pool.

He won three silver and two bronze medals in the 2001 and 2003 editions of the SEA Games, but no gold.

And the pressure is even more intense this time, as he teams up with Francisco “Django” Bustamante in the 9-ball doubles. The two buddies have won the World Cup of Pool twice, winning the 2006 final over Americans Earl Strickland and Rodney Morris, and the 2009 title against German former world 9-ball champions Ralf Souquet and Thortstenn Hohmann.

“Doubles kami ni Django sa 9-ball. Baka magka-gold doon,” said the 55-year-old Reyes.

Reyes and Bustamante lead what sports officials call as the “Dream Team,” which also includes Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, winners of the world 9-ball championships in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

The other members of the team are Roberto Gomez, Carlo Biado, Warren Kiamco, Ramil Gallego, Gandy Valle, Dennis Orcollo, Rey Grandea, Rodolfo Luat, Amit, Mary Ann Basas and Iris Ranola.

“Malaki ang tsansa natin sa mga 9-ball at 8-ball at pati mga babae natin, magagaling,” said Reyes.

While the billiards team is expected to bring medals, the snookers team will be challenged for the gold as only a few Filipino players are entered.

Still, Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines president Arturo Ilagan remains optimistic, with Pagulayan, Gomez and Biado vying for honors.

“Alex won the gold in snookers in 2005 and he used to be a snooker champion. I hope Alex can do it,” said Ilagan.

The billiards and snooker tournament is set from December 10 to 17 at the Done Chan Palace Convention Center in Vientiane.

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