On the final day of the multisport Games, five disability classification groups competed in five gold medal matches and five bronze medal playoff matches at the Centara Hotel. This marked the first time that disability snooker had been featured at an international multisport Games since the 1988 Paralympic Games. The tournament was hosted by World Abilitysport in partnership with World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) and the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand (BSAT).
In Group 1, Gary Swift of Great Britain won the gold medal after recovering from the loss of the opening frame against Kurt Deklerck of Belgium to secure a 3-1 victory. Numpol Thongpusawan claimed the bronze medal after defeating Chatchai Khamklon 3-0 in an all-Thailand clash.
Tony Southern of Great Britain, the top-ranked player in Group 2, won the gold medal in the wheelchair category by defeating Niwat Kongta 3-1. Surasit Loisaratrakul won the bronze medal for the host nation after defeating Wei-Te Cheng of Chinese Taipei 3-1.
In Group 3, Thailand’s Thanapol Seekao won the gold medal by defeating two-time UK Disability Snooker Championship winner Adam Wilk 3-1. Andy Lam of Hong Kong won the bronze medal after defeating Thailand’s Kaisorn Thongla 3-1.
Carl Gibson of Great Britain won the gold medal in Group 4 by defeating former WDBS Champion of Champions David Church 3-1. Steve Cartwright won the bronze medal after defeating Nigel Brasier 3-1 in an all-British final.
Thailand’s Saongkiat Raebankoo won the gold medal in Group 5 by defeating Gerdy Dupont of Belgium 3-1. David Bolton of Great Britain won the bronze medal after defeating David Moore in just 42 minutes.
The WDBS team expressed their gratitude to all the parties who made the tournament possible, including World Abilitysport, the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand, Rasson Billiards, Thailand Pool Tables, the Centara Hotel, the referees, local organizing committee, volunteers, players, and supporters. WDBS has been providing opportunities for people with disabilities to play snooker and billiards globally since 2015, and the success of this international event has reinforced the belief that the sport can one day be restored to the Paralympic Games.
