Efren “Bata” Reyes, the 68-year-old Filipino pool player known as “The Magician,” is still at the top of his game despite his age. He has been able to maintain his relevance and dominance in the sport since it was included in the SEA Games program in 1987. Reyes has won several gold, silver, and bronze medals in English billiards, snooker, carom, pool, and rotation across ten editions of the games. He has also won several world championships, including 9-ball and 8-ball, and finished third out of over 400 participants in the one-pocket tournament of the Derby City Classic in Indiana, United States in January 2023.
Reyes learned to play pool at the age of five after he moved to Manila to live with his uncle, who owned a pool saloon. He dropped out of high school to become a full-time hustler, playing for money and beating the best players in the world. He has a hit list of the best players in the world, and he went on to beat them all. He has won hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money, which he used to put his three children through school. He has also won accolades and endorsements from brands like McDonald’s and San Miguel Beer. In 2006, he was awarded the Philippines Legion of Honour.
Reyes’ favorite game is rotation, a game where 15 balls are played, the lowest numbered ball is struck first, and the balls are potted for points. He also enjoys playing one pocket, a tactical game. He will compete in the men’s 3-cushion carom singles at the SEA Games in Cambodia.
Despite his age, Reyes remains a popular figure among volunteers and athletes from other countries who watch him train and request group photos. Singapore’s former world No. 1 pool player Aloysius Yapp said Reyes had redefined the way everyone plays the game and raised the world standard. Reyes claims that age has caught up with him and the magic has disappeared, but he still loves playing and putting the Philippines on the map as much as before.