Filipino legend Francisco “Django” Bustamante turned heads with a bold move—selecting 19-year-old AJ Manas as his captain’s pick for Team Asia in this year’s edition of the Reyes Cup. At just 19 and ranked only 66th in the world, Manas was not only the youngest but also the least experienced member of the squad. But the young phenom proved exactly why he deserved the spot.
On Day 1, AJ Manas made an immediate impact in the team match. The 19-year-old Filipino delivered a powerful break and never looked back—clearing the table perfectly to help secure Team Asia’s first point of the tournament. Later, in the doubles round, Manas teamed up with world No. 2 Aloysius Yapp. The duo proved unstoppable: Yapp showed poise and brilliant shot-making while Manas held his own, capitalizing on the errors of Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Jayson Shaw to give Team Asia a commanding 2–0 start over Team Rest of the World.
On Day 2 of the event, Team Asia continued their stellar form, taking a 4–2 lead in the team match. However, Jayson Shaw and Skyler Woodward came to the rescue, forcing a hill-hill decider. That’s when AJ Manas rose to the occasion again, defeating FSR in the ninth rack (second time in Match 5), to secure a 5–0 overall score for Team Asia in the tournament.
It didn’t stop there, Manas right away faced World No. 1 Fedor Gorst in a singles match. After Fedor Gorst secured the opening rack, Manas quickly responded with a golden break, pocketing the nine-ball from the break to instantly tie the game. Gorst bounced-back with a strong clearance in the third rack, but from there, it was all Manas, who strung together three straight racks to reach the hill. But Gorst refused to back down and fought hard to tie the game. In the deciding rack, it seemed Gorst had the upper hand until he accidentally touched the 7-ball, resulting in a foul. Manas capitalized on the mistake, sealing a dramatic 5–4 upset over the world’s top player and pushing Team Asia ahead 6-0.
In Match 7, Manas teamed up with Johann Chua in a doubles match against Gorst and Shaw. Brimming with confidence, Chua and Manas dominated with a 5–2 victory, extending Team Asia’s lead to a perfect 7–0. Manas has been on a flawless run so far, winning five straight matches.
