Bata, Delasin vow to improve performance in billiards, golf

Billiards king Efren "Bata" Reyes and golf queen Dorothy "Joy" Delasin, the best and the brightest in Philippine sports for Year 2001, the other night vowed to do even better and keep the RP flag hoisted in their respective fields this year.

The two sports heroes made the vow shortly after they were named Athletes of the Year by members of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) at the jampacked Holiday Inn Coral Ballroom with no less than President Arroyo as guest of honor.

Reyes, who was introduced during the star-studded affair as the greatest pool player that ever lived, won his first PSA Athlete of the Year award in 1999 while Delasin, proving to be a force to reckon with in the US LPGA, was last year’s honoree.

Reyes, 47, the pride of Pampanga, is looking forward to another great year starting off with two US tournaments in March and April, the World 9-Ball Championship in Cardiff, Wales in July, the Asian Games in Pusan, Korea in September, and the rich 10-leg Japanese circuit.

Reyes said he plans to join only six of the 10 Japanese tournaments because of the Asian Games where he is expected to deliver the gold for the Philippines. Just to personally receive the PSA award, he had to skip a tournament in Pennsylvania.

"Masayang-masaya ako. Hindi ko kasi inasahan ang award na ito dahil noong 1999, mas madami talaga akong naipanalo. Kaya makakaasa po kayo at ang ating mga kababayan na lalu kaming magpu-pursigi sa taon na ito," said Reyes.

Delasin, for her part, promised to work on her game as she prepares for her third season in the LPGA where she won two tournaments last year, including the Samsung Championship where only the top 18 money earners and the top two amateurs were invited.

"It’s going to be a lot of hard work but I love it. I love to represent the Philippines so I’ll go out there and continue to give my best," said the 21-year-old Delasin who added that she is planning to join at least 25 tournaments this year, starting with an LPGA meet in March.

The first major tournament lined up for Delasin this year is the Nabisco Championship in Palm Springs, California sometime in April. This tournament, she added, could set the tone for her 2002 campaign and her ambitious bid to become world No. 1 in the future.

"Right now, I’m in the process of achieving that. I’m into more cardiovascular exercises to improve my longevity in the game and enable me to hit those balls a lot stronger even when I’m 40 years old," added Delasin, who has an average drive of 260 yards.

Delasin added that she’s working with her agent on the possibility of wearing the Philippine flag on her shirt whenever she competes in the LPGA. "We’re talking about it right now. We’re working on it," she said.