Efren Bata Reyes during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File
Billiards legend Efren "Bata" Reyes bagged the bronze medal in the 31st Southeast Asian Games 1-Carom tournament after falling to his Vietnamese opponent Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu, 100-55.
The bronze finish is a repeat of the last edition of the biennial meet, when the 67-year-old also fell against a Vietnamese. At the time, Reyes said he was mulling retirement.
"Hindi ko alam kung magre-retire ako o hindi, pero siguro malapit na," he said after his first carom match during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Before reaching the semifinals, Reyes pulled the rug from under Thailand's Suriya Suanasingh to reach the men's 1-carom semifinals.