He might be pushing 50 but Efren 'Bata' Reyes is the same player who took the sport to new heights with his inimitable style two decades ago.
'The Magician' is still a figure who commands respect, long after his sensational American debut in 1985 and with his 1999 win in the World Pool Championships a fading memory. For 49-year-old Reyes, it's a career he has enjoyed to the full. It's good to be the king.
His achievements has won him fame and fortune in the Philippines where he can call President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her predecessor, Joseph Estrada, his friends. Another friend was the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. He has appeared in commercials and even a movie, where he played himself. He is easily recognisable back home where he is a living legend.
Estrada bestowed the highest honour on him as a sportsman by awarding him the Legion of Honour in 1999 - within days of his world championship win. He was also awarded one million pesos (approximately US$18,000) for the win. Not a bad sum for a man who grew up in the slums of Angeles City near Manila.
Reyes, in town for the third-leg of the five-city San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour this weekend, is undoubtedly one of the greats of the game, and, no doubt, will win new fans here.
He is an extremely likeable man. He doesn't say much, doing most of his talking on the baize, and in that context he speaks volumes. He smiles mostly with his eyes, but it's an endearing smile. He is gracious in victory and defeat. How can you not like the Filipino who took the pool world by storm on his American debut in 1985 and still matches it with the best to this day?