BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Wonder boy AJ Manas, the 15-year-old who defeated legendary world champion, Efren “Bata” Reyes, advanced to the top 16 in the 1st Mayor Albee Benitez MassKara Billiards Tournament at the SM City Atrium in Bacolod City, after beating William Kiamco with a score 8 against 7, yesterday.
Reyes was reportedly shocked after being beaten by Manas, a member of the Philippines billiards national team, with a score of 8 against 5.
As news of the upset reverberated in national news, netizens and fans alike still congratulated the legend, saying Reyes will remain a champion in their eyes, while others are saying it is nice to see the baton being passed to younger talents.
It was also an upset for seeded billiards player, Dennis Orcolla, ranked 5th in the country, after being eliminated by Cebuano pride Boots Augusto, in a tight fight that ended 8 against 7.
Both players ended their quest for the grand prize of P350,000 in the billiards tournament.
On the other hand, Billiards icon Francisco “Django” Bustamante also advanced to the top 16 knock out round, after defeating yesterday Daboy Apuhin of Talisay City, in a tight match that ended with a score of 8 against 7.*
