There’s a new kid in town -- AJ Manas -- and he’s not shy about making his presence felt among the veterans. The 19-year-old Manas is set to make his debut for Team Asia as they aim to defend their title against Team Rest of the World (ROW) in the 2025 Reyes Cup, which tips off Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. “Team Rest of the World, you should all be ready,” said Manas during the press conference in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, Oct. 15. “We’re ready, don’t worry about it,” said current World No. 1 American Fedor Gorst, as the two teams prepare to battle for the coveted crown in the Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes-inspired competition. “Pool players are treated like rock stars out here. It will definitely be more competitive this year with our combined team. For us, it is easy because we know each other and our strengths so well,” Gorst added. With non-playing Team Asia captain Francisco “Django” Bustamante at the helm, Manas seizes the opportunity to compete against the best in the world, joining forces with veterans and multi-time world champions, Johann Chua, Carlo Biado, Singaporean Aloysius Yapp, and Vietnamese Duong Quoc Hoang. Biado is also confident of his crew. “I have the best team, I have lots of experience of winning major events, I have no worries about my team and I hope this year we will lift the trophy again,” the three-time world champion said. However, the challenge from the other side is anything but easy, with veteran American cue artist Jeremy Jones serving as captain of Team ROW that features a powerhouse lineup of global elites, including debutants Gorst and Germany’s Moritz Neuhausen, American Skyler Woodward, Spain’s Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, and Great Britain’s Jayson Shaw. “We are a different team this year, but I feel we are better prepared. When it is time we know what we bring, Asia will definitely feel the heat out there,” said seven-time Mosconi Cup titlist, Shaw, who is out to avenge his squad after last year’s downfall. “Let\'s see who handles it the best and may the best team win,” he added. Unlike the previous edition, Team Asia now faces a unified squad of top talents from across the globe. The format remains similar to the Mosconi Cup, featuring 21 matches across singles, doubles, and team events. It will be recalled that Team Asia won the inaugural Reyes Cup also held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium with Biado, Chua, Hoang, Yapp and Chinese Taipei’s Ko Pin-Yi shining under the mentorship of sports icon Efren “Bata” Reyes. They clinched an 11-6 victory over the former Team Europe, which included Shaw, Spain’s David Alcaide and Sanchez Ruiz, Denmark’s Mickey Krause, and Albania’s Eklent Kaci.