Reyes named skipper in RP vs world pool duel

Pool icon Efren “Bata” Reyes will spearhead the crack RP squad against a pack of equally-talented international stars in the QC Invasion: Quezon City-Philippines vs the World Grand Billiards Showdown slated Dec. 2-4 at the Trinoma Mall in Quezon City.

The 54-year-old Reyes, still the sport’s top draw, was unanimously chosen by his teammates to be the captain of the home squad in the keenly awaited event organized by Quezon City Council Majority Floor Leader Ariel Inton and backed by the Quezon City government, headed by Mayor Sonny Belmonte.

“It’s an honor to be selected as the team captain. I will do my best to lead our team to victory,” Reyes said.

Backing up Reyes in the squad are the country’s top players, including former world champions Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, current world No. 1 Dennis Orcollo, former world No. 1 Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, former national champion Lee Van Corteza and four-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Warren Kiamco.

The two sides will dispute the $40,000 winner’s purse.

The all-star Filipino unit will go up against an international selection led by former world champions Mike Immonen of Finland and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany in the event supported by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) and the Quezon City Tourism Council with Solar Sports, RPN-9 and The Philippine STAR as media partners.

The two teams will slug it out in singles, doubles and team events similar to the Mosconi Cup.

Quezon City plans to make “QC Invasion” an annual affair to further boost its claim as the sports-tourism capital of the Philippines.