WDBS Goes Gold at Guttmann Games
Four gold medals were earned at the inaugural 2026 World Abilitysport Guttman Games snooker competition which was successfully held at the Pajulahti Sports Institute in Lahti, Finland.
Staged over four days, the Guttman Games saw snooker contested alongside inclusive ice skating, para dance sport, para laser run, para triathlon and standing tennis.
Players from WDBS Classification Groups 1-5 were eligible to compete across four competitions which each began with a round robin group stage, followed by knockout rounds including gold and bronze medal matches.
Groups 1-2
England’s Dave Beaumont emerged victorious in the wheelchair competition (Groups 1-2) following a 3-1 victory against Finland’s Jouni Tähti in the title match.
The current world number one had to survive a scare during the initial group phase, as defeat to compatriot Gary Swift meant that he would have to survive a three-way playoff against Swift and Wei Te Cheng of Chinese Taipei, to progress to the semi-finals.
Having secured his place in the semi-finalists, alongside Cheng, Beaumont defeated Tony Southern 3-1 to reach the final, before overcoming home favourite Tähti to claim gold.
It is a landmark 11th WDBS title for Beaumont, which sees him move clear of Southern to become the most successful Group 1-2 player to date on the Tour.
Beaumont also made the highest break in the group with a run of 35 during the semi-finals.
The bronze medal was won by Cheng, who defeated Southern 3-2 to complete the podium.
Group 3
Adam Wilk claimed his third WDBS title in the ambulant group for players with severe upper body disabilities following a dramatic 3-2 win against Ireland’s Daniel Kelly in the final.
The Polish player reached the final without the loss of a frame – including a 2-0 victory against Kelly during the group stages – but found himself 1-2 behind during a thrilling final with little to separate the players.
Wilk, who is a two-time UK Championship winner, hit back to claim the final two frames and secure an emotional success in Finland.
England’s Kal Mattu overcame India’s Shayan Shetty 3-2 to win the bronze medal.
Group 4
Scotland’s William Thomson claimed his second WDBS title of 2026 as he scored a knockout blow against Pakistan’s Muhammad Ali with a 3-1 victory in the Group 4 final.
His country’s most successful-ever WDBS player, Thomson dropped just two frames throughout the competition and compiled the highest overall break of the event with a run of 59, as he earned the gold medal in Pajulahti.
Victory sees him join the likes of Dave Beaumont, Mickey Chambers and Mohammed Faisal Butt on 11 overall titles, in a tie for eighth place on the overall WDBS roll of honour.
Bronze was won by England’s Steve Cartwright, who defeated compatriot Nigel Brasier in a repeat of the bronze medal match at the 2023 World Abilitysport Games in Thailand to again join the rostrum.
Group 5
In Group 5 it was England’s Dalton Lawrence who ended a title drought dating back to July 2023 to claim a third major WDBS title following a 3-0 success against Eddy Saelens of Belgium.
It was a dominant performance from the world number two who won nine frames from nine across the week to return to winning ways and secure the gold medal.
India’s Kadari Murliraj secured the bronze medal following a 3-0 success against Australia’s Jodie Wikeepa.
WDBS would like to thank World Abilitysport and the local organising committee for their support during another landmark week for disability snooker.
The WDBS Tour continues with the 2026 European Disability Snooker Championship, which will run from 20-24 September in Sofia, Bulgaria. Enter now via WPBSA SnookerScores.
