Wu Chia-Ching - 9 ball Pool Player

Wu Chia-Ching (Wu is the family name)  was born on the 9th of February 1989 in Taiwan. In the 9 ball world he is known by the nick name: 'Taisun' or 'Little Genius'. From the age of 2, Wu was raised by his grandmother.  Around the age of 10, he began playing 8 ball pool at the hall run by his family.  As his game improved, his grandmother would ferry him from one competition to another on her scooter!

In the year 2004, he was the runner-up at the 2004 Junior 9 ball World Championship but then in 2005, Wu stunned the 9 ball world by becoming the youngest player ever to win the WPA World 9 ball Championship at the remarkable age of 16 years and 5 months. At the same Championships in the following year (2006), Wu was the top seed unfortunately however losing to Renato Alcano of the Philippines in the quarter-final.
Incredibly, also in 2005, Wu  won the WPA World 8 ball Championship, and this made him the first person ever to hold both the World  9 ball and 8 ball WPA titles in the same year.  In 2006, a remarkable change in appearance came over Wu when he managed to lose 27 kg in weight.  He attributed this to a strict diet of vegetables, meat and the rice dish: congee helped along by a daily jog of between 2 and 4 km.

Achievements in 9 ball:

Achievements in Pool
2002 Taiwan National Youth, Champion
2002 Taiwan National Pro Tour, 3rd place
2004 WPA Juniors World 9 ball Championship, runner-up
2005 WPA Men's World 9 ball Champion
2005 WPA World 8 ball Champion
2005 WPA Asian 9 ball Tour, Singapore Leg, runner-Up
2006 WPA Asian 9 ball  Tour, 4th place
2006 World 9 ball Pool Masters Tournament, last four
2006 World 9 ball Championship, last eight.

Wu on World 9-Ball Junior In Sydney

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - Two-time defending champion Taiwanese Wu Yu-Lun and Filipina-American Mary Ann Rakin dominates their respective brackets in the just concluded 2006 World 9-Ball Junior for boy’s and girl’s championships late Friday at the Sherbrooke Room, level 1 at the Holiday Inn here in Rooty Hill.

The 17-year-old Wu from Taipei defeated countryman Ko Pin-Yi (9-7) in the race-to-9, alternate breaks format in the finals to win the boys’ crown in three consecutive years in this event organize by the World Pool-Billiard Association which is open to all cue artists 19-year-old and below.

On the other hand, the Daly City, California resident Rakin, who traced her roots from Cavite edges compatriot Anna Kostanian also from the United States (7-6) in the race-to-7, alternate breaks system in the championships round to capped the coveted girls’ title.

This writer had a chance to talk in an exclusive interview with Wu, a sophomore student from Zuang Zing high school in Taipei through his interpreter Mr. Galaxy Hsieh, junior’s Committee Chairman of Chinese Taipei Billiards Association.

“Gerald Lopez of Nicaragua is calm and careful about our game in the semi-final round. The Filipino player Rene Mar David is a good player but in an experience about his game against Gerald (Lopez) in the quarter-final round as far international competition as concern.” said Wu who beat compatriot and former world champion Wu Chia-Ching in the finals of the event two years ago.

About his game against Ko in the finals. “I was just lucky about my game to Ko Pin-Yi. He played very well despite I take a 6-1 commanding lead. He tied the game at 7-all count including his three incredible jump shots.” Wu added, who can still compete in the event for the next two years.

In a separate exclusive interview, lone Filipino entry 17-year-old Rene Mar David from Barangay Botocan in Quezon City added: “I learned so much my game against Gerald Lopez of Nicaragua. I will use it in my future local and international tournament.” David said who won his first three matches before falling to Gerald Lopez of Nicaragua, 7-9, in the quarterfinals, knock-out stage last Thursday.

Born in Apalit, Pampanga was raise in Candon City, Ilocos Sur, David whose stint here also supported by Raya Sports, the Philippines Sports Commission (PSC), Department of Tourism (DOT) assistant secretary Cynthia Carrion, Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP), Grand Sport, Rhadiola, ACCEL, MASCO head Ali Atienza, Bugsy’s Promotion, BM Express, Lutong Pinoy Restaurant, Le Colonial Vietnamese Restaurant and Kingston Basketball Club.

This was the first time that the Philippines send a representative in this prestigious tournament which participated by Philippines, Taiwan, China, United States, Germany, Finland, Poland, Canada, Switzerland, Iran, Germany, Ukraine, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Korea, Japan, Republic of South Africa, New Zealand and host country-Australia.

Groups Announced For IPT World Open Championships

The International Pool Tour announces the official player groupings for the IPT World Open 8-Ball Championship. The tournament starts Sunday, September 3, 2006 at 10am in Reno, Nevada at the Grand Sierra Resort.

This historic event boasts the biggest prize fund in the history of the sport. $3,000,000 is the total prize purse, and the winner of the tournament will win an historic $500,000!

Here are the official groupings:

Group 16:

Wu, Chia-Ching
Melton, Jeff
Joyner, Cliff
Chu, hung Ming
White, Jimmy

Wu leads IPT Hardtimes qualifier

With an all star field including such notables as World 8-Ball Champion Chia-Ching Wu, Oliver Ortmann, Santos Sambajon, Ismail Paez, Scott Frost, Dennis Orcullo, Ramil Gallego, Ronnie Wiseman, George Breedlove and CJ Wiley, the 3rd IPT qualifier is underway at Hard Times Billiards in Bellflower, CA.

Into the 4th round of play, Wu is still undefeated but face his toughest match yet in Oliver Ortmann. Other top seeds still undefeated include Cliff Joyner, Scott Frost, Warren Kiamco, George Breedlove and Dennis Orcollo.

Kaohsiung World Pool Championships

With total prize money of US$350,000, the 2005 Kaohsiung World Pool Championships caught the attention of pool experts from all over the world. From the 2nd to the 10th of July, 128 pool experts from all over the world contended for the title of World Champion, and after a gruelling competition, the champion rewarded himself with a stay in Taiwan. The champion was a 16 year old boy by the name of Chia- Ching Wu, who has also made history by being the youngest World champion ever.

This is the first time ever that the World Pool Championships has been held in Kaohsiung and was a huge success given the number of high profile players that it attracted. Amongst these pool experts were the 1993 and 2000 World Champions, Fong-Pang Chao and Ching-Shun Yang respectively, as well as the 2004 runner up, Pei-Wei Chang, of which all are local athletes. Besides the local athletes, many other top athletes competed, including last year's World Champion from Canada, Alex Pagulayan, the 2003 World Champion from Germany, Thorsten Hohmann, the current top ranking player, Ralf Souquet, the only player to win the World Championships three times, American Earl Strickland, the champion from 1999, Filipino Efran Reyes, the king of pool, Franciscio Bustamante, and the 2001 World Champion, Mike Immonen from Finland.

In the opening ceremony, the Acting Mayor of Kaohsiung, Chan Chi Mai said that due to the fact that there are many pool experts based in Kaohsiung striving day after day to raise the competitive standard of the game, Taiwan has earned the title of the "Pool Kingdom", which makes the tournament in Kaohsiung all the more meaningful.

The 2005 Kaohsiung World Pool Championships were put together by the collective efforts of the Kaohsiung City Government, ESPN STAR Sports, Matchroom Sports, the National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and the Chinese Taipei Billiards Association. Ten of Taiwanese most renowned pool experts including, Po- Cheng Kuo, Fong- Pang Chao, Ying- Chieh Chen, Jung- Ling Chang, Hua- Fong Wang, Chia- Ching Wu, Chun- Chiang Liu, Hui- Kai Hsia, Kun- Chang Huang, and Chien- Che Huang all made it to the final 32. Another player that deserves a mention is Kaohsiung athlete, Ching-Shun Yang, who lost to English athlete, Raj Hundal in the final 64.

On the 10th of July, the final day of competition, Chia- Ching Wu completed the "impossible" by beating another Taiwanese athlete, Po- Cheng Kuo, with a score of 12:6 to 17:16 to be crowned the champion of the 2005 Kaohsiung World Pool Championships. At just 16 years old, Chia- Ching Wu became the youngest World Champion in pool history. After the game, Chia- Ching Wu raised both his arms up into the air with excitement and collected his prize of US$75,000. Finally, the champion hugged his grandmother tightly, and said with tears, "this championship win is dedicated to my grandmother who has always been there to support and encourage me".