By REYNALD MAGALLON
The World Nineball tour is slated for an October return in the Philippines with another edition of the Reyes Cup and the second installment of the Philippine Open Pool Championship.
Team Asia led by PH billiard legend and captain Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante, is looking to defend the Reyes Cup after reigning supreme in the last edition with an 11-3 win last year.
Out to change the fate for the Team Rest of the World is Ralf Souquet — one of the sports’ all-=time greats — who will be seeing action for the first time in the tournament set on Oct. 15 to 18.
Bustamante will be backstopped by current pool masters AJ Manas, Aloysius Yapp, and local bets Carlo Biado and Johann Chua
Immediately following suit the Reyes’ Cup is the Philippine Open Pool on Oct. 20 to 24 with Spain’s David Alcaide set to defend the title he won in the inaugural edition. Of course, the hometown bets will be bannered by reigning world champion Carlo Biado.
“The Philippines is the home of pool — and these two events prove it every October,” said PH pool legend Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes.
“The talent we have here in Asia is incredible, but it is the fans who make Manila like nowhere else in the world. When that crowd gets behind you, it is something you never forget. I am so proud of what the Reyes Cup and the Philippines Open have become, and I know our fans will make October 2026 very special once again,” he added.
