Johann Chua and James Aranas ruled the 2023 World Cup of Pool to give the Philippines a record of four titles in the tournament at Pazo de Feiras e Congresos de Lugo, Spain in Lugo, Spain early Monday, July 3 (Manila time).
Chua and Aranas took down Germans Joshua Filler and Moritz Neuhausen in the final 11-7 to make history for the Philippines.
Same tournament and title was last won in 2013 when Dennis Orcollo and Lee Vann Corteza ruled the event.
The legendary pair of Efren “Bata” Reyes and Franciso “Django” Bustamante also topped the tournament in 2006 and 2009.
Chua and Aranas won a prize money of $60,000 or P3.3 million.
Trailing the Germans at 1-2, Chua and Aranas displayed their sharp breaking game to run out and win the next eight racks, capturing a 9-2 advantage in the race-to-11 contest.
The Filipino duo of Chua and Aranas advanced to the World Cup of Pool Finals in Lugo, Spain on Sunday evening, July 2 after the Filipino duo defeated Austrians Albin Ouschan and Mario He, 9-8, in a semifinal hill-hill encounter.
The Philippines is now the winningest country in the history of the World Cup of Pool with four titles. 2006 – Reyes and Bustamante; 2009 – Reyes and Bustamante; 2013 – Orcollo and Corteza and now 2023 – Chua and Aranas
