Daniel Lee
Over the weekend of 11-12 August 2018, the Wheelchair Cuesports Academy opened it’s doors to cuesport players of all disabilities for the inaugural Kamui Open Disability 9-ball Championship. It was the first event of it’s kind, hosted by the British Wheelchair Pool Players Association.
Before matches got underway, everyone who was in attendance observed a minute’s applause for Mick Langley, who sadly passed away shortly before the event took place. Langley was the gold medalist in the wheelchair snooker event at the Seoul Paralympic Games in 1988. The last time cue sports were included in the Paralympics.
In addition to the BWPPA tour players who entered the event, there was also two regulars from the WDBS snooker tour, Blake Munton and Josh Morrison who both impressed, joining them was the Irish Wheelchair (English) 8-ball player Liam Casey, as well as ambulant player Dave Lango.
Casey had a tough introduction to the larger table game. He came through a hill-hill opening match against Frankie Gillen (7-6) before facing BWPPA no.1 Daniel Lee, who had earlier beaten Lango 7-2 in his first match. Lee’s experience told as he beat Casey 7-1. Grimsby’s Munton started his weekend well, with impressive performances over BWPPA tour regulars Matthew Lester (7-3) and Chris Brown (7-3). Elsewhere in the early stages recently crowned wheelchair English 8-ball Champion Dave Beaumont returned to 9-ball with a 7-3 loss to Roy Kimberley.
Tony Southern came through a tense opener, with a 7-5 win over Danny Luton. Southern followed up with an impressive 7-0 win over Morrison.
It was a 9.30am start on the Sunday morning to decide who would progress from the double elimination stage of the main event. Southern and Luton were to meet again, but this time the Bristolian Luton won 7-5 to progress into the semi-finals. In the losers side of the draw Darren Taylor continued his impressive run of form beating Munton 7-2.
In the semis Lee and Kimberley demonstrated why they have been two of the most prolific winners on the BWPPA tour over the last 15 years, as Lee beat Luton 7-1 and Kimberley beat Taylor 7-2.
In the final it was the BWPPA no.1 Lee who took the title with a 7-2 win over “the Sandman” this rivalry will surely grow as we reach the business end of the BWPPA season, and into next.
A video of the main event final is available to watch here. Pictures of the event can be found here in the BWPPA gallery.
The latest BWPPA ranking list can be found here.
In the Challenge Cup Casey had showed promise as he beat Brown 5-2. Elsewhere Lester beat Morrison, also 5-2. While Beaumont beat Lango 5-0, before an impressive 5-1 win over Casey in the semi-finals.
Munton continued to impress, with a 5-4 win over Lester in the semi-finals. In the final it was Beaumont’s experience that told in the end, as he beat Munton 5-1.
The BWPPA tour continues with the Tiger Cues Warrington British 10-ball Championship, at Escape Pool Bar in Barnsley 15-16th September.
BWPPA would like to thank all of our sponsors:
Gentlemen’s Night Out World Pool Series, Simonis, Aramith, Kamui, Predator Cues, Cuescore, Escape Pool Bar in Barnsley, Tiger Cues of Warrington, A.B. Wallace Trophies and Fred Dinsmore Billiards
We would also like to thank long time BWPPA supporter Big Dave Knight from www.pro9.co.uk for his great support including providing our event posters.
We also are always looking to expand the sponsorship side of the tour, so if you or your company would like to become one of our sponsors, please visit our contact us page.
You too can be a part of the world’s largest wheelchair pool tour; please keep checking on http://www.bwppa.com and http://www.pro9.co.uk for further information. In addition to our national tour stops there is also the possibility of representing Great Britain in international tournaments such as the EPBF European Championship and WPA World 9-ball Championship for wheelchair players.
