BACOLOD CITY – Billiards legend Efren “Bata” Reyes edged Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez, 2-1, in an exhibition match during the last day of the 2nd Mayor Albee Benitez 10-ball billiards tournament at The Main Atrium of SM City Bacolod here on Thursday, October 12.
Benitez and Reyes earlier teamed up against Francisco “Django” Bustamante and Bacolod Councilor Vladimir Gonzalez in another exhibition match. Benitez and Reyes led but Bustamante and Gonzalez rallied to win, 2-5.
MAYOR Alfredo Abelardo ‘Albee’ Benitez plays against Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes in an exhibition game in the last day of the 2nd Mayor Albee Benitez 10-ball billiards tournament, a major sports event in this year’s MassKara Festival at SM City Bacolod on Thursday, October 12. (Glazyl Masculino)
These exhibition matches were part of the 40th MassKara Festival being celebrated by this city this month.
Bustamante thanked Benitez and the city government for inviting him to the tournament for the second straight festival.
He said that he was happy that they were able to give the people of Bacolod a good exhibition game.
One-hundred twenty-two billiards players joined this year’s tournament, a major sports event in this year’s festival.
The youngest player in the tournament was nine-year-old Grade 4 pupil Chasz Uy who played a dream match against Reyes on October 11.
Uy, from STI West Negros University, defeated Reyes in a race to four racks.
He played Bustamante in his first match but bowed out after losing the first two racks.
Uy’s father, Philip Andrew, said his son, the youngest of three children, was introduced to billiards at an early age in their family-owned resto-café.
Ronel Nalaunan of Kalibo, Aklan emerged champion in the tournament and pocketed P350,000.
He defeated Bonnie Pentacasi of Bohol, 9-7, in the Race to 9 finals. Pentacasi won P100,000.
Nalaunan beat Edwin Gamas of Pasig City while Pentacasi eliminated Meynard Tipawan of Bago City, Negros Occidental in the Best of 4 elimination round.
Gamas and Tipawan went home with P50,000.