149 players from around the world compete Monday through Sunday
A fourth win would make history for first time in 18 years
Cho Myung-woo, the world No. 1 in 3-cushion billiards, is set to chase a fourth title this season at the World Cup being held in Yanggu, Gangwon Province.
The Korea Billiards Federation announced it will host the 2026 Yanggu 3-Cushion World Cup at the Yanggu General Sports Town in Gangwon Province from Monday through Sunday.
The tournament features 149 of the world's top players, including Cho, Eddy Merckx of Belgium, Marco Zanetti of Italy and Dick Jaspers of the Netherlands.
Cho, the all-time Asian leader in World Cup victories with six career titles, has already claimed the top prize this year in Bogota, Colombia in April, Ankara, Turkey in June, and Liège, Belgium in September. A victory in Yanggu would make him the first player to win four World Cup titles in a single season since Dick Jaspers did so in 2008 — a gap of 18 years.
Cho is also chasing back-to-back titles at World Cups held in Korea, having won last year's edition in Gwangju.
The field chasing Cho features a formidable cast of rivals. Merckx won the World Cup held in Korea in 2023, and Jaspers took the title at the Korean event in 2024. With Zanetti also in the mix, a fiercely competitive race for the championship is expected.
The Yanggu event is the sixth stop on the 2026 Union Mondiale de Billard World Cup series. The season began in Bogota and has since traveled through Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Ankara; Porto, Portugal; and Liège before arriving in Yanggu. The series concludes with the final event in Hurghada, Egypt in December.
It is the first time a 3-Cushion Billiards World Cup has been held in Gangwon Province. All matches will be broadcast live on Soop, and results and draw information will be available on the UMB's official website.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
