Efren Reyes Leads the Field of 32 Players

Asia’s only premier 9-ball tour kicks off another season of exciting pool competition in Singapore when defending champion Efren “Bata” Reyes from the Philippines leads a field of 32 top Asian players for the first leg of the four-city San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour 2005 at the Suntec Singapore, Exhibition Hall 404.Reyes, together with fellow Filipino and former world number one Francisco “Django” Bustamante and 2000 world champion Chao Fong-Pang from Chinese Taipei, heads an impressive cast of Asian cue artists who will embark on a mission to earn enough qualifying points towards the World Pool Championships in July. The tour is the only ranking tour in Asia for players to qualify to the World Professional Pool Championships. The top ten finishers at the end of this year’s tour will automatically enter the World Professional Pool Championships.
Now in its third year, the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour is offering a total prize money purse of $50,000USD up for grabs at this weekend’s Singapore leg and on each subsequent stop of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour in Jakarta (April 1-3), Kaohsiung (April 29 - May 1) and Manila (June 3-5). The main draw includes 32 top Asian players from 12 countries/regions.Last year saw the 50-year old Reyes rule three of the Tour’s five legs. The player known as “The Magician” took home the leg titles in Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, and Taipei. The 2002 Busan Asian Games 9-Ball singles gold medalist, Yang Ching Shun of Chinese Taipei, topped the Hong Kong leg, while Lee Van Corteza of the Philippines triumphed in Manila.At this opening leg of 2005, host Singapore is represented by Toh Lian Han, William Ang Boon Lay, Ricky Chew and Bernard Tey Choon Kiat. Aside from Reyes, Bustamante, and Chao, other players expected to challenge for the crown are 2004 Taipei leg first runner-up Jeong Young Hwa of Korea and16-year old whiz kid Wu Chia-Ching from Chinese Taipei.The San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union and organized by ESPN STAR Sports’ Event Management Group (EMG). San Miguel Beer is the title sponsor for the tour. Iwan Simonis and Aramith supply the official tablecloth and official balls, respectively. Brunswick Metro is the official pool table, Marina Mandarin is the official hotel, and Suntec Singapore is the official venue. STAR Sports is the official broadcaster. The 2005 tour will go to Singapore, Jakarta, Kaohsiung, and Manila. Besides the total prize money of $200,000USD, the top ten players on the tour every year will directly qualify into the World Professional Pool Championships.Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news from the San Miguel Tour.

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