Filipino pool icons Efren Reyes and Django Bustamante headline 128-player Philippines Open Pool Championship

 At a time when new stars in Filipino cue sports are rising fast, two veterans still command the spotlight. Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante are back behind the table — not just to compete, but to remind the world why their names belong in the conversation of the game’s greatest.

 Starting Tuesday at Gateway Mall in Cubao, the 2025 Philippines Open Pool Championship will feature 128 of the world’s best for a powerhouse USD 125,000 prize pool — with USD 30,000 going to the champion. 

 Among the 85 Filipino entrants, Reyes and Bustamante stand as both competitors and mentors, armed with decades of experience and a shared goal: to turn back time and show that their fire still burns.

Reyes, long considered “the Magician” of the table, carries a legacy built on multi-discipline world titles and shot-making no one else seemed to match. 

Bustamante — “Django” — is no less formidable, a globe-trotting champion whose flair and clutch instincts made him a star in his own right. 

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LEGENDS IN ACTION

Two of the greatest Filipino billiards players, Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante, are slated to showcase their greatness and compete in the highly anticipated Philippines Open Pool Championship starting this Oct 21.#PhilippinesPoolOpen pic.twitter.com/ZKcdQ3an5H

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) October 20, 2025

Their participation isn’t a symbolic cameo — each knows the format will be merciless, the draw brutal, and the stakes higher than ever for a sport hungry for new benchmarks.

But the field won’t just be watching quietly. World number 1 Fedor Gorst leads the foreign invasion, joined by the likes of Jayson Shaw (Scotland), Francisco Sánchez Ruiz (Spain), and Moritz Neuhausen (Germany) — all ready to stake their claim on Asian soil. 

On the home front, Filipino heavy-hitters such as reigning world champion Carlo Biado, youth breakout AJ Manas, and Johann Chua add sprint-dimension to the local challenge.

“It’s always special to play here in the Philippines. The fans, the energy, the love for pool — it’s like nowhere else in the world.” Said, Bata Reyes .

“Leading Team Asia to victory at the Reyes Cup last week was incredible… now to play here at home makes it even more special.” Django Bustamante said.

For Reyes and Bustamante, this isn’t just about revival — it’s about legacy. They’ve seen the game evolve, studied its trends, and still believe they can contend. This tournament gives them one more stage, one more chance to earn respect not purely for the past, but for the performance in the present.

As the single-elimination schedule looms, every rack matters. One mis-cue or unlucky roll could end a match — and for the legends, also draw another chapter of a storied career to a close. For young challengers, it’s the chance to take a piece of the throne.

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