2018/2019 UK Calendar Announced
World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) is today pleased to announce its provisional calendar of UK events for the 2018/19 season.
Having previously announced events on an individual basis, for the first time were are able to confirm a full schedule of seven UK events for the season ahead, which will run in line with the professional World Snooker Tour calendar.
Further information in respect of each event will be released over the coming months, including event entry packs and classification information.
2018
The new season will begin with the return of the WDBS Welsh Open, to be held for the second successive year at Redz Snooker Club in Cwmbran. As in 2017, when Daniel Blunn emerged victorious from a 48-player field, the event will be open to players from all eight WDBS classification groups and contested under the increasingly popular Six Red format. The event will take place across the weekend of 29 June – 1 July 2018.
From the circuit moves on to Barratts Snooker Club in Northampton for this year’s Open Disability Snooker Championship, to run from 28-30 September 2018. The longest-running WDBS event dating back to November 2015, the tournament will be the first time that players from all eight WDBS classification groups will compete in their specific groups at the same venue for the first time. The event will be full 15-red version of the game.
In another first for the WDBS, the Northampton weekend will also include opportunities to play billiards, with coaches available and a tournament to be held subject to entries received.
October sees the WDBS return to Gloucester’s South West Snooker Academy for the inaugural Parris Cues WDBS Champion of Champions event from 19-21 October 2018. The main two-day competition will see the most successful players from each classification group since our first event in 2015 invited to compete to become this year’s ‘Champion of Champions’ from their respective group.
The final event of 2018 will once again be the Hull Open, to be held at the Tradewell Snooker Club over the weekend of 16-18 November 2018. The two-day weekend competition will be open to people with sensory disabilities (Groups 7-8), with a tournament for players with learning disabilities (Group 6) to be contested on the Friday.
2019
The new year will provisionally begin with the Northern Classic at the Elite Snooker Club in Preston from 8-10 February 2019. As with this year’s tournament, the event will be contested by players with physical disabilities (Groups 1-5) at the club owned by former professionals Chris Norbury and Shokat Ali.
This is set to be followed by two events for people from Groups 7-8, firstly the new Southern Open as we head to the 22-table Jesters Snooker Hall in Swindon from 22-24 March 2019. This will be followed by the third staging of the WDBS Disability Classic to be held at the Cueball Derby as the season comes to an end.
Once again, both events will include a Group 6 competition for people with learning disabilities, held concurrently with the regular Friday open day.
WDBS Chairman Nigel Mawer QPM said: “Since 2015 the WDBS board and team have seen fantastic growth in playing numbers and interest in our events. It is great that we are now in a position to announce a full calendar which will hopefully enable our players to plan ahead and encourage our continued growth.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our players, officials, supporters and volunteers that have supported WDBS so far and look forward to greeting you all at our events in the coming season.”
Get involved!
With a record number of events to be held over the next 12 months, there are more ways than ever before to get involved with the WDBS and its events.
Whether you are interested in competing in events as a player, or perhaps you and your company would like to take advantage of the opportunities that exist by supporting one of our competitions as a sponsor, we would love to hear from you via our contact form.
Learn more about individual tournaments at our Events page.
