MANILA, 31 January 2003 — For flag and country.
What many consider nowadays as a statement fit essentially for political speeches has always been the battle cry of the Philippines’ top two billiards players.
Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante, who sat on top of the billiards world last year, have expressed their burning desire and willingness to see action in the 22nd Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in December.
The deadly duo’s presence will serve the country in good stead as it starts preparations in its bid to achieve a strong top three finish in the overall medal tally in the prestigious biennial meet.
“Anytime,” said the 49-year-old Reyes when asked about his availability to carry the Philippine colors again despite a hectic schedule in major, cash-rich tournaments abroad.
“In December, I will be free from my commitments abroad, and I’ll see to it that I’ll be in Vietnam to join our fellow Filipino athletes,” said the man known around the world as “The Magician” because of his uncanny skill to make seemingly impossible shots.
Reyes said it will all depend on the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP), the governing body for the sport in the country, if they want him in the team.
“I have always wanted to play for flag and country,” said Bustamante who almost missed the slot to the Busan Games after he failed to join the local eliminations. “All the BSCP have to do is to let me know if they want me in the team — and I’m ready.”
But then again, the entry of Reyes and Bustamante into the national team is again dependent on the BSCP.
The BSCP had a history of refusing to seed world-class pro players like in the last Asian Games.
Bustamante was a late entry to the billiards team and was accommodated to only one event — the nine-ball doubles — because Warren Kiamco, silver medalist in the nine-ball singles, gave way for Django’s inclusion.
The BSCP gave in to popular clamor after the 39-year-old Bustamante finished second in the World Pool Championship.
Just before the Asiad joust, billiards officials were under fire since they kept Bustamante and Reyes, sure-fire bets for the gold, limited and difficult assignments in Busan.
Bustamante, indeed, felt the pressure of delivering for the 78 million Filipinos. He eventually produced a gold medal in Busan in partnership with Antonio Lining.
But for the Ho Chi Minh City meet, billiards head coach Ramon Ancaja said Reyes and Bustamante would most likely be seeded into the team.
“This is my personal opinion: If we are sending only two players in billiard in Vietnam, I prefer Efren and Django to represent the country. If they are competing in more events, their chances of winning more medals are high,” said Ancaja.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) warmly welcomed the two cue artists’ offer of their services.
“Definitely, it’s good news for us,” said POC president Celso Dayrit, adding that the availability of Reyes and Bustamante — two of the world’s top pool players ñ for this year’s edition of the Games could pump up the Filipino athletes’ morale.
“Maybe Efren and Django found it more challenging and more fulfilling to play for the country than just for themselves,” said Dayrit.
In Vietnam, there are 11 gold medals up for grabs in the billiards and snooker events.
To be disputed in billiards are 9-ball singles, 9-ball team and 8-ball singles while in snooker, it will be the singles, doubles, singles English billiards, doubles English billiards, single carom 3-cushion, single carom 1-cushion, single carom libre and single carom cadre (47-1).
Dayrit said he pushed for the inclusion of 9-ball doubles and the rotation events but, unfortunately, Vietnamese organizers thumbed it down.
Reyes has captured gold medals in the past SEA Games and took the bronze in the 8-ball singles of the Busan Asian Games last year.
For Bustamante, who bagged the 9-ball doubles gold in Busan with Antonio Lining, this might be his first SEA Games.
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Eric Buhain, who strongly batted for Bustamante’s inclusion in the Busan squad, urged the two topnotch cuemasters to make representations with the BSCP in the earliest time possible so they could adjust their schedules in anticipation of a rigid training together with the other Philippine team members.
Earlier, the PSC chairman said the Philippines must win at least 40 gold medals in Vietnam if it wants to land in the top three and generate enough momentum for its SEA Games hosting in 2005.
Reyes and Bustamante wound up the top two money-makers in the US circuit last year.
According to AZBilliards, Reyes earned a total of $126, 200 while Bustamante pocketed $122,200, not counting the incentives from his Busan triumph.
Reyes proved his class with four major tournament victories, including the $50,000 winner-take-all “Challenge of Champions” where he beat 2001 World Pool Champion Mika Immonen in a nerve-wracking, sudden-death, one-rack playoff.
He also successfully defended his World Pool League crown in Warsaw, Poland, took the Café Puro Challenge of the Masters by beating Bustamante handily in the finals and added the Shooters Labor Day Weekend Open 9-Ball Tournament to his trophy room.
He won a total of $215,362 in 2001 and $79,930 in 2000.
Bustamante won a total of six major tournaments and broke out of the shadow of his bosom buddy.
Just last week, Bustamante has been named the 2002 AZBilliards Men’s Player of the Year, winning the award over a host of other top contenders, among them former European champion Ralf Souquet of Germany.
AzBillliards, the longest running and widely-respected United States-based website on billiards and pool, based its decision on the fact that in their head-to-head duels this year, Bustamante beat Souquet in the finals of the Gabriels Las Vegas Invitational and the IBC Tokyo 9-Ball International event.
