Former Asian record holders Sean Patrick Villanueva and Leo Borromeo believe they can improve on their quarterfinals finish in the Nation’s Cup, as the Rubik’s World Championships return this year to Incheon, South Korea.
“I feel that we will perform better than in the last Nations Cup,” said Villanueva, who currently holds the Philippine record with a 4.11-second single solve, ranking 10th in the world.
Borromeo also expressed confidence in his compatriots and believes they have a shot at taking the title this year.
“We can win the Nations Cup title. I know there are many strong teams like China and the USA, but I think we can secure victory,” said Borromeo, who also holds the national record for average solve time with a 5.24-second record, ranked 6th in the world.
In 2019, Villanueva and Borromeo teamed up with Brenton Angelo Lo Wong and reached the quarterfinals of the 3-on-3 Nations Cup in Australia. The 2021 World Championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Villanueva, who finished runner-up behind eventual 3x3x3 Cube individual event world champion Philipp Weyer of Germany in 2019, is also aiming for a place in the 3x3x3 One-Handed Finals.
He stands as one of the title contenders in the said event and is currently seeded 4th, the highest among any Filipino in any event in the tournament.
The trio of Villanueva, Borromeo, and Wong leads the Philippine representatives in the biennial event, which also includes Michael Angelo D. Zafra, Paolo Miguel F. Parian, Alexis Margaret Magtibay, Juan Miguel Mendoza, Toby Litiatco, John Paul Custodio, Ace Djun T. Aguirre Jr., Javier Ignacio, Jansen Alvarez, Paolo Panganiban, Iñigo Zachary D. Enrile, Ivan Keith T. Cariaga, and Iñigo Miguel Palisoc.
The 2023 Rubik’s World Championship will open on August 12 and run until August 15.
The event is organized and sanctioned by the World Cube Association, which features 17 puzzle-solving events including the 3x3x3 Blindfolded, 4x4x4 Cube, 5x5x5 Cube, and more.
