World Disability Championship Set for Knockout Rounds

The knockout stages for the 2026 World Disability Snooker Championship in Korat, Thailand are now confirmed after three days of group stage action.

A total of 26 players from around the globe remain in contention to become the world champion across eight classification groups – with seven defending champions still on course to become two-time winners.

Group 1

Final:

• Numpol Thongpusawan (Thailand) vs. Gary Swift (England)

There will be a repeat of last year’s final in the Group 1 wheelchair classification as defending champion Gary Swift meets Thailand’s Numpol Thongpusawan.

Swift was a 3-1 victor in Bangkok in 2025, but it is Thongpusawan who has dominated the group so far this time around – winning all three matches, including one against the reigning champion, without dropping a frame.

Group 2

Semi-Finals:

• Surasit Loisaratrakul (Thailand) vs. Jerry McFarlane (England)
• Shahab Siddiqui (England) vs. Neville Helou (Australia)

Three continents will be represented in the semi-finals of the Group 2 wheelchair classification as Thailand’s Surasit Loisaratrakul remains on course to defend his title.

The reigning world champion earned six wins from six in an impressive group stage that saw him drop just two frames en route to the last four.

He will face England’s Jerry McFarlane, who has already equalled his best run in a ranking event and took Loisaratrakul all the way to the final black in their group stage meeting.

On the other side of the draw, three-time WDBS event winner Shahab Siddiqui faces Australia’s Neville Helou, who will be competing in a ranking event semi-final for the first time.

Group 3

Semi-Finals:

• Thanapol Seekao (Thailand) vs. Shayan Shetty (India)
• Andy Lam (Hong Kong China) vs. Kaisorn Thongla (Thailand)

Thanapol Seekao has been the dominant force in Group 3 with five wins and no frames lost as he aims to become a two-time world champion on home soil.

His semi-final contest with India’s Shayan Shetty is a repeat of last year’s final, which Seekao won 3-1 in Bangkok.

An all-Asian line-up is completed by three-time WDBS event winner Andy Lam and Thailand’s Kaisorn Thongla, who has already bested last year’s group stage exit.

Group 4

Semi-Finals:

• Yannick Piscador (Belgium) vs. Somsak Sae-Lao (Thailand)
• Carl Gibson (England) vs. Muhammad Ali (Pakistan)

Four different countries will be represented in the Group 4 semi-finals.

Carl Gibson is the defending champion and made a strong start by dropping just a single frame in his group stage matches and scoring a top break of 71.

He takes on WDBS Tour debutant Muhammad Ali, from Pakistan, who finished second in a group behind Belgium’s Yannick Piscador – who is yet to drop a frame as he aims to win a ranking event title for the first time.

Completing the last four line-up is Thailand’s Somsak Sae-Lao, who fell at the quarter-final stage 12 months ago.

Group 5

Semi-Finals:

• Yuanyuan He (China) vs. Shahzad Butt (Pakistan)
• Songkiat Raebankoo (Thailand) vs. Gerdy Dupont (Belgium)

Thailand’s Songkiat Raebankoo remains on course for a second world title on home soil in a strongly contested Group 5 competition.

The reigning champion won all four of his group stage matches and will take on world number four Gerdy Dupont, from Belgium, in tomorrow’s semi-finals.

In the other last four meeting, WDBS Tour debutant Yuanyuan He from China takes on reigning European champion Shahzad Butt, who has compiled the tournament high break so far with 81, in what is set to be a high-quality match.

Group 6A+8

Semi-Finals:

• Pravinkumar Ramkumar (India) vs. Shea Fell (Ireland)
• Kristof De Bruyn (Belgium) vs. Nicklas Olsen (Denmark)

One of the most open groups in this year’s World Disability Snooker Championship sees players from four countries competing for glory.

India’s Pravinkumar Ramkumar topped the initial group stage with four wins from five matches on his WDBS Tour debut and will face former Irish Open semi-finalist Shea Fell in the last four.

Reigning world champion Kristof De Bruyn, from Belgium, is once again into the knockout stages and will face a stern test against Denmark’s Nicklas Olsen – who continues to impress after lifting the European Championship title on debut earlier in the campaign.

Group 6B

Final:

• James Hart (England) vs. Lee Hague (England)

There is guaranteed to be a new world champion in Group 6B as James Hart and Lee Hague meet in an all-English clash on Sunday.

Hague is aiming to go one step further than his second-placed finish last year and has once again reached the title match courtesy of victories over India’s Jai Ganesh Marudanayagam and compatriot Ben Rodgers.

Former British Open champion Hart defeated Hague 3-2 as part of a near-perfect group stage performance and he will be aiming to repeat this result and win the biggest title of his career.

Group 7

Final:

• Dylan Rees (Ireland) vs. Colvin O’Brien (Ireland)

Dylan Rees and Colvin O’Brien will meet in an all-Irish final in Group 7 for a second consecutive year.

Rees, who became his nations first World Disability Snooker champion 12 months ago, topped the four-man group with a clean sweep of 3-0 victories over O’Brien, Venkateswaran Subramanian and Ray Marsland.

A top break of 44 saw Rees past O’Brien in the group stage but the world number one, who remains the only player to make a century break in WDBS competition, will be out for revenge in Sunday’s final.

The 2026 World Disability Snooker Championship takes place on 17-21 June and you can follow the event via the WPBSA YouTube channel and WPBSA SnookerScores.