1988 – 1993 WC

From 1988 to 1993, the UMB did not organize a World Championship tournament. The existence of the BWA, then the organizer of the World Cup events, had created the – largely correct – appearance that professionals played for the BWA and amateurs for the UMB. A UMB world championship without Ceulemans, Blomdahl, Jaspers and ten or twelve other top players would not have made much sense.

In later years, the UMB and BWA would fight bitter court battles that benefited nobody and hurt the sport. National federations, players and even referees were forced to take sides. In a few seasons, there were competing cycles of World Cups. The feud ended when the BWA financially collapsed in 2003. Ironically, the UMB was very successful since, in its use of the very format that the BWA had invented. This is not a period in the history of billiards to be proud of, but it needs to be remembered so the same mistakes will not be made again.

From 1988 to 1993, the overall winners of the World Cup cycle (five or six events) were considered to be the world champion of that year.

1988: Torbjörn Blomdahl.

1989: Ludo Dielis.

1990: Raymond Ceulemans.

1991: Torbjörn Blomdahl.

1992: Torbjörn Blomdahl.

1993: Sang Chun Lee.

For more information, see “World Cups”.