EFREN "Bata" REYES

Was born Aug. 26, 1954, in Mexico, Pampanga. He is the middle son of nine children - five boys and four girls. His family was poor and his father worked as a barber. When Efren was five years old, his family sent him to stay with his uncle, who owned the Lucky 13 pool hall in Avenida, Manila. Efren was put to work as a billiard attendant. This is where he picked up the nickname "Bata" (The Kid).

stars, and the celebrities that frequented his uncle's place, but also from his dreams. Efren's bed was the pool table.Efren did not actually pick up a pool cue until he was eight years old, but for the first three years at the Lucky 13, he still learned a lot about the game. Not only from watching the hustlers, the movie

"When I slept on the table, I dream about pool," he said. "I learned about pool from my dreams."

Then at eight years old, he began living out the dreams.

"Just to be able to shoot," he said, "I stacked cases of Coke three high so I could play pool." After a shot, he would move the cases around the table so he could take another shot. Even though his uncle did not want him to play pool, Efren would play two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening, when nobody was around. "I liked sleeping on the table because when I woke up I could play pool."

Manila, May 3, 2003 -- He has been known by many names, from 'Bata' to 'The Magician' to plain Efren. Now we can add Hall of Famer to that list.
Filipino billiards icon Efren 'Bata' Reyes has been voted into the sports' Hall of Fame, a well-deserved spot for one of the most celebrated and charismatic players who ever wielded a cue stick.
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