The inaugural World Incapacity Snooker Championship held in Nonthaburi, Thailand has now concluded with seven gamers claiming gold medals of their respective WDBS classification teams.
Organised by World Incapacity Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) and the Sports activities Affiliation for the Disabled of Thailand underneath the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King (SPADT), the historic occasion has seen 66 gamers throughout wheelchair, ambulant, mental, visible and deaf classification teams compete to grow to be the first-ever world champions on the WDBS Tour.
Group 1
England’s Gary Swift made it a Thailand double within the Group 1 classification group for wheelchair customers following a 3-1 victory in opposition to Thailand’s Numpol Thongpusawan in Sunday’s last.
Having triumphed on the World Abilitysport Video games in Nakhon Ratchasima 15 months prior, Swift repeated the feat in Nonthaburi following a hard-fought last with dwelling favorite Thongpusawan, who had beforehand scored a 3-1 win of his personal in opposition to Swift throughout the spherical robin group stage.
The pair every scored 3-0 victories throughout the semi-finals in opposition to Poramet Boonphak and Ma Wah Keung respectively, earlier than they met in what would show to be a marathon title decider which lasted over six hours.
Thailand’s Thongpusawan claimed the opener, earlier than Swift responded to take the next two frames to maneuver to inside one in every of gold, finally clinching victory on the ultimate pink.
Swift accomplished an ideal week as he claimed the very best break of the group with a run of 30 throughout the group stage in opposition to compatriot Matthew Lester.
Group 2
Thailand’s Surasit Loisaratrakul defeated Dave Beaumont 3-1 to land his first WDBS title on the World Championship on dwelling soil.
A bronze medallist on the World Abilitysport Video games in 2023, Loisratrakul topped his spherical robin group with an ideal 100% file, earlier than he defeated compatriot Niwat Kongta and England’s Darren Taylor within the knockout rounds to achieve the title match.
Awaiting him was the in-form Dave Beaumont of England – winner of his earlier 4 WDBS appearances – who had seen off Tony Southern in a blockbuster semi-final to make sure that he’ll rise to world primary within the newest world rankings following the match.
It was to be Loisratrakul who would triumph within the gold medal match nevertheless, successful the ultimate two frames to take dwelling the title.
The very best break of the group was a run of 35 compiled by Italy’s Fabio del Zoppo throughout the group stage.
Group 3
House hero Thanapol Seekao made historical past early within the day as he grew to become the first-ever WDBS world champion following a 3-1 last win in opposition to India’s Shayan Shetty.
The gifted duo each progressed by Group A throughout the spherical robin stage, earlier than they overcame Mohit Gupta and Andy Lam respectively to arrange a last rematch with Shetty hoping to show the tables on the reigning Group 3 World Abilitysport Video games champion.
It was to be Seekao’s day once more, nevertheless, as he clinched an important opening body on the black – having seen Shetty pot the earlier 5 colors earlier than lacking the important thing ball – on his strategy to a 3-1 success and his first world rating crown.
The Thai participant additionally hit the very best break in Group 3 with a run of 37.
Group 4
England’s Carl Gibson defeated countryman David Church 3-1 to carry his ninth WDBS title on the World Championship in Thailand.
The Hull participant has loved appreciable success on the Tour having beforehand gained the Champion of Champions, European Championship and World Abilitysport Video games titles throughout the previous 15 months and added probably the most prestigious title of all to his file together with his first world title.
Having topped his group with 12 frames gained from 13 performed, Gibson whitewashed Steve Cartwright earlier than surviving a deciding-frame end with file WDBS champion Daniel Blunn within the semi-finals to achieve the title match.
There he met good friend and rival Church, who himself had seen off Phudis Sukijnoppakun and William Thomson to arrange one other conflict between the highest ranked Group 4 gamers.
It was Gibson who made the quicker begin as he gained the primary two frames comfortably and although Church claimed the third to threaten a comeback, Gibson was to not be denied as he closed out a memorable victory in body 4.
Church would take the comfort of getting compiled the very best break together with his 56 throughout the group stage.
Group 5
Songkiat Raebankoo was the fourth and last repeat winner from the 2023 World Abilitysport Video games as he edged out WDBS debutant Anant Mehta 3-0 to assert his maiden world title.
The pair had in reality each progressed from Group 4 with Mehta successful their opening conflict, however within the all-important last it was Raebankoo who turned the tables to assert make it two WDBS titles from two.
The group would show to be one of the hotly contested of the occasion with WDBS debutant Shazad Butt from Pakistan hitting the general highest break of 86 on the opening day throughout a 3-2 victory in opposition to world primary Dave Bolton.
Each Butt and Bolton would fall on the semi-final stage, earlier than Raebankoo accomplished victory on Sunday night.
Teams 6+8
Belgian star Kristof De Bruyn grew to become world champion for the primary time within the mixed Teams 6+8 match for deaf and gamers with studying disabilities
The 49-year-old was in robust kind all through the occasion as he progressed by a 5 participant group for the lack of simply three frames earlier than seeing off Eire’s Aidan Pollitt within the final 4 to achieve the title match.
Awaiting him was England’s Lee Hague, who accounted for Niall Pollitt within the semi-finals to earn a match in opposition to De Bruyn for the world crown.
It was to be De Bruyn who would emerge victorious and win his fourth fundamental rating occasion crown as he dominated the title match to expire a 3-0 winner.
The very best break was made by Hague with a run of 30 – with De Bruyn dramatically lacking a tough last black on 25 with the title already sealed within the final body of the match.
Group 7
An all-Irish last in Group 7 noticed Dylan Rees defeat world primary and compatriot Colvin O’Brien 3-0 to grow to be world champion for the ultimate time.
With six gamers within the competitors, the pair had been joined by England’s Mike Gillespie and Welsh veteran Ronnie Allen within the semi-finals following a aggressive knockout stage in Thailand.
Having progressed to the decisive match, it was O’Brien who arguably had the momentum having edged out Rees 3-2 within the group levels, however it might show to be a distinct story on finals day as Rees largely dominated on his strategy to claiming a seventh rating title sealed with an impressed pot on the ultimate pink.
For O’Brien, he would declare the honour of the very best Group 7 break with 80 throughout the group stage.
Following an excellent championship WDBS want to thank everybody who made the occasion attainable together with SPADT, the Billiard Sports activities Affiliation of Thailand and naturally every of the 66 gamers and their carers and supporters.
The inaugural staging of the World Incapacity Snooker Championship represents one other enormous step ahead for incapacity snooker and the continuing quest to revive snooker to the Paralympic Video games.
