A Decade of WDBS!
World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) celebrates a special milestone this month as the organisation marks ten years since the staging of its inaugural event.
Founded in July 2015, WDBS held its first event at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester in November 2015, with 19 players in attendance from England, Wales and India.
A decade on and the circuit has seen incredible growth, with approximately 150 currently ranked players and almost 400 players from 21 countries having competed at a WDBS event since that landmark first event.
Last week’s Irish Open marked the 60th WDBS event held to date, with Group 4 star Daniel Blunn leading the way with 18 tournament wins in his category, which in 2024 saw him inducted to the WST Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements.
Other significant milestones include the Tour’s first-ever century break, compiled by Ireland’s Colvin O’Brien at the 2024 British Open, while recent years have also seen the first-ever stagings of the World and European Disability Championships in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Paralympic ambitions
Snooker was a founding sport at the inaugural Paralympic Games in Rome 1960 and was contested at seven Games in total, most recently in 1988.
It remains the long-term vision of WDBS to see snooker reclaim its rightful place at the Paralympic Games in the future and in 2023 saw a significant step forward as disability snooker was contested for the first time at the World Abilitysport Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
The Games saw medals contested across five disability classification groups, with players from England and Thailand taking home gold medals.
“A truly inclusive sport”
Nigel Mawer QPM, WDBS Chairman said: “As we reflect upon ten years since the foundation of World Disability Billiards and Snooker, it is with great pride to see how far the organisation has come since 2015.
“From our first tournament in Gloucester, it has been humbling to see the positive impact that snooker has had upon people around the world. Snooker is a truly inclusive sport and the adaptations and tools used by our players to be able to play our sport has been inspiring to witness over the years.
“I would like to thank the many people who have made this possible, from our many venues across the years, to our dedicated referees and of course the WPBSA for their invaluable support.
“But mostly I would like to thank the players, without whom these events would not exist and as we continue to grow around the world, I look forward to meeting more people who share our passion for this sport.
“Of course, our long-term aspiration remains to see snooker restored to the Paralympic Games and there remains a significant amount of work ahead of us to make that happen.
“The WDBS Tour has significantly increased its international footprint in recent years as we continue our growth and I remain as excited as ever for the journey ahead of us as we look to take disability snooker to new heights.”
