Buenos Aires, Aug 31 (IANS/EFE): A Colombian couple won the 9th World Tango Championship in Buenos Aires in a very close final in the ballroom category, a style uniquely identified with Buenos Aires social life.

Natasha Agudelo and Diego Benavidez, a married couple from Bogota, went home with the title after a hard-fought runoff against two Venezuelan dancers with whom they had originally ended in a tie in the final at Luna Park Stadium, where 38 couples competed before 6,000 spectators.

The jury decided that the two couples had tied and would have to take the floor again to determine the winner. The Colombians came out on top with the Venezuelan couple taking second place.

This was the first time that a couple from Colombia has won the ballroom tango final, the organisers said, adding that up to now contestants from the Andean nation have only taken the prize in the stage tango category.

The winners took back to Bogota a cash prize of 30,000 pesos ($7,109).

Taking part in this 9th World Tango Championship were 492 couples from 26 countries.