Golden Days in Finland: WDBS Stars Shine at Inaugural Guttmann Games
A New Chapter for Para-Snooker
The Pajulahti Sports Institute sits amid the pine forests of southern Finland, the kind of venue where the hush between shots feels almost ceremonial. It was here, over four remarkable days in August, that wheelchair and ambulant snooker players from across the globe helped write the opening chapter of the inaugural World Abilitysport Guttmann Games — and they did so in emphatic fashion. Four gold medals were claimed by WDBS competitors, each one telling its own story of grit, nerve, and the particular brilliance that defines elite para-snooker.
Beaumont Makes History in Groups 1-2
If you needed a reminder of why Dave Beaumont sits at the top of the WDBS world rankings, the wheelchair competition in Lahti provided it in abundance. England's finest didn't have it easy — a group-stage defeat to compatriot Gary Swift left Beaumont needing to navigate a tense three-way playoff alongside Swift and Wei Te Cheng of Chinese Taipei just to reach the semi-finals. It is the kind of jeopardy that can unsettle even the most battle-hardened competitor.
It did not unsettle Beaumont. He dismissed Tony Southern 3-1 in the semi-finals — punctuating the match with the highest break in the Groups 1-2 competition, a composed run of 35 — before facing home favourite Jouni Tähti of Finland in the gold medal match. Playing in front of a crowd cheering loudly for the local man, Beaumont held firm to win 3-1 and claim what is now a landmark 11th WDBS title. That tally moves him clear of Southern and cements his status as the most decorated Groups 1-2 player in the history of the Tour. Some records feel inevitable in hindsight; this one was hard-fought every step of the way. The bronze medal went to Cheng, who edged out Southern 3-2 in a closely contested third-place play-off.
Wilk Battles Back in a Thrilling Group 3 Final
If Beaumont's victory was a masterclass in composure, the Group 3 final was something altogether more dramatic. Adam Wilk had been flawless on the road to the title match — the Polish player dropped not a single frame en route to the final, including a clinical 2-0 win over Ireland's Daniel Kelly during the group stage. Perfection, though, has a habit of making the stumble feel all the more vertiginous.
Kelly, undeterred by that earlier loss, pushed Wilk to the edge, winning two consecutive frames to lead 2-1 and stand just one frame from gold. What followed was the kind of fightback that para-snooker at its best regularly produces. Wilk, a two-time UK Championship winner, drew on every ounce of his experience to win the final two frames and claim a 3-2 victory that left those watching on the edge of their seats. It is his third WDBS title and arguably his most emotionally charged. England's Kal Mattu secured bronze with a hard-fought 3-2 win over India's Shayan Shetty.
Thomson Tops the Podium Again in Group 4
Scotland's William Thomson is fast becoming one of the defining figures of the WDBS era, and his performance in the Group 4 competition at Pajulahti only strengthened that claim. Dropping just two frames across the entire event, Thomson was a picture of controlled authority, saving his most impressive moment for the tournament's highest break — a superb run of 59 that set the standard for all others to chase.
In the final, Pakistan's Muhammad Ali faced a formidable task against a player in that kind of form, and despite his best efforts, Thomson completed a 3-1 victory to claim gold. It is his second WDBS title of 2026 alone, and his 11th overall — a tally that draws him level with Dave Beaumont, Mickey Chambers, and Mohammed Faisal Butt in a tie for eighth place on the all-time WDBS roll of honour. Scotland has never had a more successful WDBS player, and Thomson shows precious little sign of stopping. The bronze medal match produced a curious piece of symmetry: England's Steve Cartwright defeated compatriot Nigel Brasier to claim third place — mirroring almost exactly the same bronze medal fixture between the same two players at the 2023 World Abilitysport Games in Thailand.
A Landmark Tournament
The Guttmann Games were always designed to be something broader than a single-sport event — snooker sat alongside para triathlon, para dance sport, inclusive ice skating, para laser run, and standing tennis across the four days at Pajulahti. But what snooker brought to that programme was unmistakable: nail-biting finishes, record-breaking performances, and players from England, Scotland, Poland, Finland, Pakistan, Chinese Taipei, Ireland, and India sharing the same stage. For a sport that continues to grow its global para footprint, four gold medals at an inaugural Games feels like exactly the kind of statement of intent the WDBS has been building towards.
