Eight Champions, One Spectacular Day: The 2026 World Disability Snooker Championship Delivers in Thailand
A Day of Finals Like No Other
Imagine eight world finals being contested simultaneously in the same hall — the crack of cue balls, the hushed concentration of competitors, the eruption of celebration from one table rippling across to the next. That was the remarkable scene at the SPADT Convention Centre in Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday, as the 2026 World Disability Snooker Championship reached its crescendo. After five days of competition featuring 50 players from across the globe, eight new — and in several cases, returning — world champions were crowned in what stands as the most prestigious event on the WDBS Tour calendar.
Thailand's Golden Generation Shines on Home Soil
For the host nation, Sunday was nothing short of extraordinary. Thailand claimed four of the eight gold medals, cementing the country's status as a dominant force in disability snooker. Leading the charge were Surasit Loisaratrakul in Group 2, Thanapol Seekao in Group 3, and Songkiat Raebankoo in Group 5 — all three successfully defending the titles they won at the inaugural staging of the Championship back in February 2025. Seekao and Raebankoo went one step further in their claim to greatness; both players now hold flawless WDBS records, having also triumphed at the 2023 World Abilitysport Games.
The numbers behind their performances this week were staggering. Raebankoo and Loisaratrakul each dropped just two frames throughout the entire event. Seekao, meanwhile, was in a class entirely of his own — winning all 22 frames he played across the five days. Not a single frame lost. It is the kind of record that would turn heads in any form of the sport.
The fourth Thai gold came courtesy of Numpol Thongpusawan, who claimed the Group 1 title with a 3-1 victory over England's Gary Swift — a scoreline that carried particular significance. A year ago in this very championship, Swift had beaten Thongpusawan by the identical margin. The Thai player had also fallen to Swift at the semi-final stage of the 2023 World Abilitysport Games. On home soil in 2026, he finally turned the tables to become a world champion for the first time.
Gibson's Comeback Kings the Drama
If Seekao's week was a masterclass in controlled dominance, then England's Carl Gibson offered something altogether different — heart-stopping drama. Gibson, competing in Group 4, was the standout scorer of the week, compiling 12 breaks over 30, a consistency that underlined just how far his potting game has developed. But this title was not won on statistics alone.
In his semi-final, Gibson found himself trailing Muhammed Ali 1-2, one frame from elimination. He won the next two to survive. In the final, the deficit was even more alarming — 1-3 down, staring at defeat. What followed was a remarkable recovery, capped by a top break of 66, as Gibson clawed his way back to retain his world crown. It is worth noting that Gibson also won in Nakhon Ratchasima three years ago, meaning his record on Thai soil now reads a perfect 100%. Some players simply find a place that brings out the very best in them.
Rees, Olsen and Hart Write Their Own Stories
Dylan Rees of Ireland made it back-to-back world titles in Group 7, navigating his way through the draw without dropping a frame before meeting compatriot Colvin O'Brien in a repeat of the 2025 final. Rees completed the job 4-1, and with it secured his second gold on the world stage — a measure of just how consistently he has performed at the top level of the disability game.
While the defending champions gathered the headlines, three players experienced the singular joy of winning a world title for the very first time. Denmark's Nicklas Olsen claimed glory in the Group 6A+8 category, adding a world championship to what has already been a breakthrough season on the WDBS Tour. Details of the remaining maiden winner are still emerging, but the emotion at these moments is always unmistakeable — years of dedication converging into a single, unrepeatable instant.
More Than a Tournament
The 2026 World Disability Snooker Championship also carried added significance as the final world ranking event of the 2025/26 WDBS Tour, meaning the results on Sunday shaped the season's final standings across all classifications. Following the conclusion of the finals, a victory ceremony brought the week to a close with keynote speeches from WDBS Chairman Nigel Mawer QPM and Billiard Sports Association of Thailand President Suntorn Jarumon — a reminder that events like this one operate on a stage far bigger than the table itself.
Fifty players. Eight champions. One extraordinary week in Thailand.
