TEAM Asia successfully defended the Reyes Cup with authority, overwhelming Team Rest of the World 11–3 in front of a raucous crowd at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila on Sunday night, Oct. 19, 2025.
The trophy-clinching moment came in the final doubles match when World Champion Carlo Biado and debutant AJ “Starboy” Manas closed out the competition with a composed 5–2 win over Fedor Gorst and Moritz Neuhausen — a fitting finish that sealed Asia’s back-to-back crown. Manas, who announced himself on the biggest stage, was named tournament MVP.
“That final nine-ball felt special — it was the moment we’d worked for all week,” said Biado after the clincher. “I’m proud of every single one of my teammates, especially AJ. He played like a veteran out there. We came to defend our title, and now Asia has conquered the world again.”
Manas, in a fairytale debut, was equally breathless. “Being crowned MVP feels unreal — it’s honestly a dream come true. I’m so proud to have helped Team Asia defend the Reyes Cup. None of this would’ve been possible without my teammates and captain Django (Bustamante) believing in me. I just wanted to prove I belong here and that I can compete with the best. This week, I did that.”
Team captain Francisco “Django” Bustamante lauded his team’s balance of leadership and fresh talent. “I couldn’t be prouder of this team. Every player gave their heart, and AJ proved he was the right choice — the kid is something special. Carrying on Efren’s legacy with another win here in Manila means everything to me and the team.”
Needing only two wins to retain the title with a commanding 9-1 lead heading into the final day of the competition, Team Asia inched closer to achieving the feat as 2024 MVP Aloysius Yapp of Singapore beat Glaswegian Jayson Shaw 5-1 for a 10-1 edge.
Team Rest of the World then responded with two straight victories to make it 10-3.
Shaw and American partner Skyler Woodward notched a morale-boosting 5-2 win over the Asian pair of Yapp and Duong Quoc Hoang of Vietnam in the first doubles event.
In the other singles match, Spain’s Francisco Sanchez Ruiz erased an early 0–3 deficit to grind out a 5–3 victory against Johann Chua.
Thereafter, the Filipino tandem of Biado and Manas closed the 2025 Reyes Cup with authority, prompting jubilant celebrations in the arena.
Yapp praised the team’s chemistry. “It’s been an incredible week. Everyone brought their A-game, and the team chemistry was unbelievable. Last year we made history; this year, we proved it wasn’t a fluke.” / LBG WITH MATCHROOM POOL REPORT