The inaugural Reyes Cup will take place in the Filipino capital of Manila from October 17-20, honouring one of the greatest pool players of all time in former world champion and US Open winner Efren Reyes.

The invitational will follow in the footsteps of the iconic Mosconi Cup, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, and sees champions Europe go into battle against an esteemed Asian team.

Much like the Mosconi Cup between Europe and the USA, an Asian team will contain the top three Asian players from the World Nineball Tour rankings as well as two wildcards, who will be selected by the team captain.

Players who are highest in the one-year rankings following the World Pool Championship, the European Open and the US Open will be selected for the respective Asian and European teams, with a qualifying cut-off occurring following each of those events.

The Reyes Cup has been rumoured for a number of years but Matchroom have now signed the dotted line to produce the spectacle, promoting the exhibition event alongside Aristeo ‘Putch’ Puyat, the godfather of Filipino pool.

Matchroom’s Emily Frazer said: “The Reyes Cup sees a dream become a reality. Thanks to our partners at Sky Sports, the 30-year success of the Mosconi Cup has paved the way to deliver this format to a global audience.

“Given the storied history the Philippines has on the sport, it is only right that we honour Efren in his home country. It was a privilege to welcome him and dear friend Putch Puyat to the Hanoi Open last year.

“Efren’s passion for the sport has been unwavering for over 50 years, and he is the perfect figurehead for this tournament and our sport. I couldn’t be more delighted than to be working alongside such a legend and organisation in Puyat Sports.”

Further details regarding the venue, tickets, team captains and other information will be released in due course.