Sheffield championed accessibility at this year’s World Snooker Championship, with opportunities for people of all abilities to participate alongside the action at the Crucible Theatre.
Now in its 49th year at the Crucible, the 17-day tournament began on 18 April as the world’s leading players battle for the title. However, much of the focus has gone beyond the table and further into spaces designed to open the sport up to a wider audience.
The Sheffield Winter Garden has become a central hub for that effort. For the duration of the schedule, visitors are being invited to play on a table and receive guidance from qualified coaches with no booking required.
Among those leading the sessions was Nick Smithson, a world snooker coach working in the fan zone.
“Here is the pinnacle of the sport, and in such an intimate theatre,” he said. “We were encouraging people to come and have a go, pick up a cue and get involved. There’s a lot happening around the tournament, not only inside the arena.”
On 22 April, World Disability Snooker Day was held in the Winter Garden fan zone. The event was supported by World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS), raising the awareness of opportunities for players with disabilities.
Fans could watch some of the WDBS players, including former Champion of Champions winner Daniel Kelly. Supporters also had the opportunity to talk to these players and coaches, making fans closer to the action.
For tournaments, the WDBS uses a classification system with up to 36 unique classification profiles across eight groups. These include wheelchair snooker, a key part of snooker history as it was played at the Paralympic Games from 1960-1988, alongside many more.
Following the 10 year anniversary of WDBS Tour and inaugural World Disability Snooker Championship in Thailand in 2025, fans and players alike believe that they are getting closer to the goal of snooker making a comeback to the Paralympics.
Smithson, who is a former primary school teacher in the city, spoke about an old student he saw at the event who has a disability, saying it brought a “tear to his eye” seeing how inclusive the event really has become.
Next week, the focus on inclusion continues with World Women’s Snooker Day on Wednesday 30 April: an event aiming to encourage more women and girls to take up the sport.
