2008 WPA World Straight Pool Championship
Recap
Published April 13, 2026
Netherlands' Niels "The Terminator" Feijen won his first world title in 2008, defeating Francisco Bustamante in the WPA World Straight Pool Championship final. The victory came after years of competition at the highest levels of professional pool.
Feijen had dominated European straight pool for years before this championship, capturing five European titles. He competed in the championship match against Bustamante, a Filipino veteran who was an established champion across multiple pool disciplines. This title victory occurred during a period when the WPA was working to increase straight pool's prominence after nine-ball had become the dominant discipline for decades.
Feijen's 2008 straight pool title marked the beginning of his success at the world level. Six years later, he won the WPA World Nine-ball Championship in 2014, becoming a two-discipline world champion. His straight pool title established him as a key figure in European pool excellence, leading to multiple Mosconi Cup appearances representing Team Europe from 2007-2016.
Feijen's victory was significant for straight pool's international reach. A European champion claiming the world title during the discipline's revival period demonstrated that the classic game had become a global sport. Feijen earned induction into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 2023, becoming the first Dutch-born player to receive the sport's highest honor.
Sources: Niels Feijen – Wikipedia World Champions|WPA Pool World Straight Pool Championship – Wikipedia
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