The tournament was held at Buffalo’s Billiards, located at 5015 Bloomfield in Jefferson, Louisiana, New Orleans, USA, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Still displaying remarkable precision and skill at the age of 62, Bustamante showcased his veteran poise and completely dominated Lunda in the finals to secure the championship and claim the grand prize of $3,700.
In the semifinals, Bustamante edged Alex Lely of the Netherlands, 4-3, in another tightly contested match before delivering his most dominant performance in the finals, shutting out Lunda, 4-0, to clinch the championship.
Before winning the title, the Tarlac City native earned an early bye and then defeated Mike Delawder, 4-3, and Bobby Emmons, 4-3.
It can be recalled that in 2010, Bustamante once again reached the finals of the World Nine-ball Championship, where he captured the title by defeating Kuo Po-cheng of Taiwan.
Bustamante’s campaign reached another highlight when he overcame Josh Roberts, 4-2, in the quarterfinals to secure a semifinal berth.
On July 27, 2010, Bustamante, along with Terry Bell and Larry Hubbart, founders of the American Poolplayers Association, was elected to the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame and was officially inducted on October 21, 2010.
Bustamante became only the second Filipino player to receive the honor, following fellow billiards icon Efren Reyes.
Incidentally, Bustamante, Reyes, and Eugene Torre, Asia’s first grandmaster, were among the invited guests for the billiards and chess sports activities scheduled this Friday, May 22, 2026, upon the invitation of San Manuel, Tarlac Mayor Doña Cresencia Reyes Tesoro.
However, Bustamante and Reyes, both prize fighters under Puyat Sports, were unable to attend the San Manuel, Tarlac sports activities as both are currently competing in the United States.
