Efren is going to have his top hitman on his Team East.
Francisco Bustamante will be bringing his A-game for Asia as another world champion terror poses a hurdle to Team West. European and American champions will go against Asia’s champions on November 19th at Resorts World Manila Casino & Hotel in the inaugural Kings Cup. In what surely will become the most epic rivalry in cue sports, the pool world is about to get rocked in a war that fans have been dreaming about for years.
“I’m happy and excited in being part of this great event. It’s even better since the venue is in my homeland, and surely many Filipinos are looking forward to watching it live,” said Bustamante. “Efren is always my first choice to be captain. He is indeed a very important person in the entire pool world, not just Asia.”
“Masaya ako at excited na maging bahagi ng malaking torneo na ito. Higit na mabuti ito dahil dito aa sariling bansa namin mangyayari ang laban. Sigurado akong maraming mga Pilipino ang matutuwa at hahangaring mapanuod ito ng live.”
“Bustamante is not an ordinary world champion. He has an arsenal of skilled weaponry that I think is unmatched till this day by any pool player in history. Most players have to play beyond their A game to keep up with him. He’s scary good,” said Kings Cup executive producer Charlie Williams of Dragon Promotions. Bustamante has been the achilles heel to many notable champions sustaining unearthly win streaks over champions like Ralf Souquet and USA’s #1 Shane Van Boening.
“He doesn’t miss much and he kicks too good. Too hard to play against him,” commented Shane Van Boening, the reigning 4-times US Open Champion.
Bustamante started playing pool at age 10 and by the time he was 12 he was already the best player in his province of Luzon and started traveling the Philippines to earn money with his pool skills. That unbridled talent transformed him eventually into a world class player and he lived in Germany where he wowed Europeans with his abilities for years before he became a household name. Traveling to America, Bustamante won countless titles including becoming the Camel Pro Tour Player of the Year finishing #1 in the rankings. He later won the ESPN Challenge of Champions twice, and won Matchroom Sport’s World Pool Masters & World Pool League events in Europe. Twice he was paired with Reyes and winning both times the World Cup of Pool doubles event for the Philippines. In an already illustrious career, Bustamante’s crowning achievement was following in the footsteps of his partner Reyes in winning the World 9-Ball Championship in 2010. He was inducted into the Billiards Hall of Fame and since that time has still stayed in top form adding ten more titles to his repertoire.
“Django and I won many team and doubles events together. We know each other very well and I am definitely most comfortable with him as a teammate,” said Team Asia skipper Efren Reyes. Reyes and Bustamante have a very long, strong, and highly successful partnership throughout the years. “Kami ni Django marami na kaming naipanalong laban bilang isang team at sa mga doubles’ event na kaming dalawa ang magkapareha.Kilalangkilala namin ang bawat isa. Higit na may kumpiyansa ako kung si Django ang kapareha ko.”
“I’m glad we are playing 10-ball as I prefer it over 9-ball because in 9-ball the corner ball gets in the pocket as soon as the player breaks. It’s too easy,” commented Bustamante. “But certainly our team will have good chemistry since we’re aiming for the same goal. Our goal is to win.”
The format of the Kings Cup will follow in the footsteps of the successful Queens Cup. Teams will play in versatile styles including singles, doubles, triples, and quadruples each of the 3 days of the men’s competition.
Dragon Promotions is pleased to announce the Kings Cup, a first time ever event pitting the men’s champions of Europe & USA versus the champions of Asia in a three day contest to declare which side is the strongest, the East or the West. On November 19th-21st 2015, the world, as well as the players themselves, will find out! Four players on each side will be selected to represent their continent. The Kings Cup will be hosted by the award winning Resorts World Manila Casino & Hotel and produced by Dragon Promotions. The event will be played on the beautifully designed Rasson Table using Andy Cloth, Viking Cue, Pool & Billiard Magazine, and Billiards Digest are also co-sponsors.
