His glory days are already way behind him and Father time has certainly caught up but Efren ‘Bata” Reyes’ old and wrinkled hands continued to weave magic and never lost its magnificent touch.
At 68 years old, the living legend, viewed as the greatest pool player ever, was widely celebrated after finishing third in the 2023 Derby City Classic One Pocket Tournament on Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Caesars in Southern Indiana in the US.
Sure, Reyes didn’t bring the title home after yielding to Jonathan “Hennesee” Pinnegar, 0-3, in the semifinals of the tournament, which during his heydays was his personal stomping ground, evident in his record 13 overall titles including six one pocket crowns, but the veteran cue master just proved that he’s still among the best even against his peers, some of which from the younger generation as compared to his.
Reyes was undefeated through the 12 rounds and reached the semifinals out of the 428 participants. He bested Alex Pagulayan, 3-1, on his way to the Final Four before also beating Skyler Woodward, 3-0, to get a shot at making it to the Finals.
The Filipino sports legend then mustered all his might and showed superb mental and physical stamina in the semis match despite already playing pool for a total of six hours -- a feat already considered extraordinary for an already weary cue master. All his efforts, however, were not enough to topple the younger Pinnegar.
Still, it was an inspiring run for Reyes that almost everyone including Pagulayan was left in awe. He admitted it was a bittersweet loss for him as it relegated him to fifth spot but was glad to personally experience the wonders of a legend in Reyes.
“It was such an honor to play the man deep in such a prestigious event. Efren has beaten a lot of very tough players in this event to get to this point. 68 years old and the man still has it folks. Thank you for yet another great match and memory,” wrote Pagulayan in one of his social media posts.