Fresh from being awarded the MVP award on his Reyes Cup debut, Filipino teenage sensation AJ Manas has vowed to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Efren Reyes and become a world champion.
Manas enjoyed an undefeated debut as one of Francisco Bustamante’s captain’s picks in his Asian team’s emphatic win over the Rest of the World, notably beating world number one Fedor Gorst in his only singles match.
The 18-year-old was compared to teenage world darts champion Luke Littler during his impressive Reyes Cup campaign, despite Littler having already won seven major titles in darts and become a celebrity in Europe.
“I’m grateful that I’m being compared to Luke, and I’m looking at it in a positive light,” Manas told Sporf. “The pressure is still there, and I’m looking at Luke as my inspiration. One day, I’m going to win the World Championship in pool at a young age.”
Littler, who is currently the world number two in darts, has become renowned for his composure and his ability to produce greatness at crucial times, qualities that Manas showcased in his deciding rack win over Gorst.
“For me, the victory against Gorst is one of my biggest achievements because Fedor is the number one in the world, and I’m only 66 in the rankings,” Manas added. “So, going in against Fedor, I was nervous, under pressure, and scared, but I was able to overcome it.“
Only now have the prodigious talents of a future household name in the pool world come to light, although Manas has been playing the game since he was seven years of age, plying his trade and hustling in Filipino pool halls for numerous years.
His Reyes Cup debut could be remembered in future years as the time when a star was born, and Filipino phenom Manas now has his sights set on emulating the all-time great Reyes and becoming champion of the world.
“It was my grandfather who taught me how to play pool, and from there, because we needed to make ends meet, I started playing pool every day of my life with my grandfather, who was teaching me up until now. I’m very grateful for that,” Manas explained.
“Coming from a non-privileged family, it motivates me to do better in the sport to help my family. I’m lucky to have all these opportunities. With the pool community booming in the Philippines, it gives me a chance to make it a source of living for my family to survive.
“I’m 18 right now, and I started at seven, and I’m very thankful to my grandfather and family for opening my mind to pool. My future is much greater right now. I’m not going to stop until I get a world championship like Efren Reyes.”
