Give us a break

Why field Efren "Bata" Reyes in the 8-ball competitions of the Busan Asian Games in September when he has a better chance of winning the gold medal in the 9-ball event?

And why deny Francisco "Django" Bustamante of a slot to the national team when the mere mention of his name sends shock waves to the rest of the Asian contenders?

These questions were raised a couple of times during the PSA Forum at the Holiday Inn Hotel yesterday but neither Reyes, nor his manager Rolando Vicente, could provide the answers.

"I don’t even know how this happened. And frankly, I feel more comfortable playing the 9-ball because it’s my event," said Reyes, the 1999 world 9-ball champion, in Filipino.

"The events where the country hopes to win the gold medals have been reduced with Efren not playing the 9-ball. At iba talaga kung nandiyan si Django. Madinig pa lang ng mga kalaban ang pangalan niya eh nangangatog na ang mga tuhod nila," Vicente said.

Reyes said when he was offered a slot to the Asian Games by the Snooker and Billiards Congress of the Philippines last year, he expressed his intentions to play the 9-ball, 8-ball and rotation.

"But after the rotation event has been scratched by the organizers in Busan, I was instead tapped to play the 8-ball and English billiards (three-cushion and 18-1 bank line). Hindi na naibigay ang 9-ball sa akin. Doon sa three-cushion at 18-1, pupulutin tayo sa kangkungan," said Reyes.

"Ang dahilan nila ay kung kukunin ko pa ang 9-ball, wala na daw malalaruan ang mga ibang kasama ko," he said.

And like a good soldier, Reyes agreed. Or at least, he seems to have agreed.

"Magagaling din naman ang mga kasama ko. Puwede din nila ako lahat talunin. Pero paano kung iba na ang kalaban nila?" said Reyes, who leaves today for the World 9-Ball Championship scheduled June 13 to 21.

Reyes said he had tried to convince the Philippine Sports Commission to have Bustamante included in the team but was prevailed upon by local billiards officials who said it would be unfair to the rest of the team members who’ve been practicing for more than a year now.

Bustamante announced his availability for the Asian Games only recently after getting the go-signal from his sponsors in Germany where he is now based.

"Kung nandiyan si Django, lamang na lamang na tayo sa pocket billiards (9-ball, 8-ball, 9-ball doubles). Lamang na lamang si Django sa ibang teammates ko sa national team dahil mas-matibay ang loob niya," said Reyes.

"And I don’t see any of my teammates giving up his slot for Django. They won’t simply do that," he added.

Joining Reyes in the 9-ball competitions will be Lee Van Corteza. To vie for the 9-ball individual and 9-ball doubles are Antonio Lining and Warren Kiamco.