The World Nineball Tour is delighted to announce the formation of the Reyes Cup, in partnership with Puyat Sports Inc. and Sky Sports as the broadcaster for the UK and Ireland; a brand-new Invitational event that will see Asia’s finest players take on Team Europe in year one of the event, October 17th-20th.
The inaugural Reyes Cup will be held in Manila, capital of the Philippines, in honour of pool’s greatest player and tournament namesake, Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes. A world champion and US Open Pool Championship winner, Reyes is widely regarded as the sport’s greatest-ever player, serving as inspiration for millions of pool fans across the globe. Partnering with Francisco Bustamante to form an all-time dream partnership, the Magician also won the World Cup of Pool for the Philippines in 2009.
The tournament will follow in the footsteps of the four-day team format of the prestigious Mosconi Cup, which celebrated its 30th anniversary at Alexandra Palace, London last December. Team Asia will be represented by the top-three ranked players from the World Nineball Rankings one-year list, with two additional wildcards selected by Team Asia captain.
Aloysius Yapp of Singapore currently tops the Race to the Reyes Cup for Team Asia after winning the International Open last October, with Mosconi Cup stalwart David Alcaide leading the charge for Team Europe.
Cut-offs for qualification for the Reyes Cup will occur in three stages, with one player announced for each team following the World Pool Championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the European Open in Fulda, Germany and the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City, USA. This will be in effect for both Team Asia and Team Europe with player rankings taken from the 2024 one-year list.
Mr Efren “Bata” Reyes said: “I am truly humbled and honored that Matchroom has chosen to name this prestigious event after me. The Efren Reyes Cup is not just a tournament; it’s a celebration of the sport we love, and I am excited to see the pool community come together for its first edition in the Philippines.”
Mr Aristeo “Putch” Puyat said: “The Efren Reyes Cup is not just a tournament; it’s a testament to the passion and dedication that Efren Reyes has brought to the world of pool. Teaming up with Matchroom Sports, we at Puyat Sports are thrilled to bring this event to our home country, further solidifying the Philippines’ status as a hub for billiards excellence.”
Matchroom Multi Sport CEO Emily Frazer added: “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, 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.”
Venue and ticket details will be released in due course, with fans able to register for ticket alerts here.
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雷耶斯盃確定舉辦! 今秋十月菲律賓登場
世界9號球巡迴賽宣布將與 Puyat 體育公司，以及天空體育 (Sky Sports) 攜手合作推出許多球迷期待已久的雷耶斯盃 (Reyes Cup)。雷耶斯盃為一項全新邀請賽，2024的首屆賽事將於菲律賓首都馬尼拉舉行，以紀念撞球運動中最偉大的球員，菲律賓傳奇球星 Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes，Reyes 被公認為此一運動有史以來最偉大的運動員，與 Francisco Bustamante 搭檔為菲律賓贏得了2009年的撞球雙打世界盃 (World Cup of Pool) 冠軍。
雷耶斯盃之於亞洲版的莫斯考尼盃，被許多球迷引頸期盼已久，其賽制亦將延續享譽盛名的莫斯科尼盃為期四天的團體賽制，由亞洲隊對戰歐洲隊。世界9號球排名 (Nineball World Rankings) 前三的亞洲選手將獲得資格代表出戰，再加上 2個由隊長所選出的外卡選手。
雷耶斯盃資格賽將分三階段進行，在世界撞球錦標賽 (舉辦地: 沙烏地阿拉伯吉達)、歐洲公開賽 (舉辦地: 德國富爾達) 與美國公開賽 (舉辦地: 美國大西洋城) 後，每支球隊將宣布一名球員。目前，新加坡好手葉浚惟 (Aloysius Yapp) 在去年10月贏得國際公開賽後，目前在雷耶斯盃亞洲隊代表的爭奪中名列前茅，而西班牙名將 David Alcaide 則為莫思考尼盃歐洲隊的領先者。
Reyes 說道: “Matchroom 選擇以我的名字來命名此項賽事，讓我感到無比的榮幸，它是對我們所熱愛的這項運動的一種慶祝，我翹首期盼著首屆賽事在菲律賓齊聚一堂”。
Aristeo “Putch” Puyat 表示: “雷耶斯盃不單單是一個賽事而已，更是 Efren Reyes 對撞球的熱情與奉獻的一種證明。Puyat 體育很高興與 Matchroom合作將這項賽事帶到我們的家鄉，並進一步鞏固菲律賓作為卓越撞球中心的地位。”
Matchroom 執行長 Emily Frazer 補充道: “雷耶斯盃讓夢想成為真實。感謝我們的合作夥伴天空體育，莫斯考尼盃30年來的成功也為此項賽事的誕生提供了契機。鑑於菲律賓在撞球運動中的傳奇歷史，以及 Efren 50多年來對撞球運動的熱情始終如一，他是這項賽事與這項運動的完美領導者，我們在 Efren 的家鄉向他致敬是理所當然的。我非常高興能夠與 Efren 以及 Puyat 體育一起合作。