The European Heyball Open – Kielce 2026, held at the Grand Hotel Kielce, has come to an end. A total of 102 players took part in the tournament: 64 men and 38 women. After several days of competition, the titles went to Maks Benko of Slovenia and Waratthanun Sukritthanes of Thailand.
The tournament brought together players from many countries and continents, and the level of competition was high from the very beginning. The total prize fund amounted to $116,000, while matches were streamed live from all 16 tables, including the TV table. The broadcasts were available free of charge via the TVSPORTS.PL and EPBF channels.
Benko takes the men’s title
Maks Benko’s road to victory led through a very demanding knockout stage. In the quarter-finals, the Slovenian defeated Germany’s Yuma Dörner 7:4. Arfan Dad of Pakistan also advanced to the last four after beating Jose Alberto Delgado 7:4, while Jordan Shepherd of Great Britain edged Kęstutis Žadeikis 6:5. Radosław Babica completed the semi-final line-up after a hard-fought 5:4 victory over Roman Hybler.
In the semi-finals, Benko produced another excellent performance and defeated Arfan Dad 7:2. In the other match, Jordan Shepherd beat Radosław Babica 7:1 to secure his place in the final.
In the decisive match, Benko proved stronger than Shepherd. The Slovenian won 7:4 to claim the main trophy of the European Heyball Open – Kielce 2026.
Men’s podium
1. Maks Benko – Slovenia
2. Jordan Shepherd – Great Britain
3. Arfan Dad – Pakistan
3. Radosław Babica – Poland
©Maciej Urban/Polish Billiard Association
Sukritthanes triumphs in the women’s event
The women’s knockout stage was equally exciting. In the quarter-finals, Mary Talbot of Great Britain defeated Tamami Okuda of Japan 6:3. Germany’s Veronika Halliday beat Poland’s Katarzyna Wesołowska 5:4, Narantuya Bayarsaikhan of Mongolia defeated April Larson of the United States 6:5, while Waratthanun Sukritthanes of Thailand overcame Marina Jacobs of South Africa 5:4.
In the semi-finals, Mary Talbot defeated Veronika Halliday 5:4. In the other match, Waratthanun Sukritthanes beat Narantuya Bayarsaikhan 6:3 to book her place in the final.
In the gold-medal match, the Thai player confirmed her excellent form. Sukritthanes defeated Mary Talbot 6:3 to win the women’s title at the European Heyball Open – Kielce 2026.
Women’s podium
1. Waratthanun Sukritthanes – Thailand
2. Mary Talbot – Great Britain
3. Veronika Halliday – Germany
3. Narantuya Bayarsaikhan – Mongolia
©Maciej Urban/Polish Billiard Association
After the finals, the official medal ceremony took place. The trophies and medals were presented by Viktoria Nagorna, representing the World Pool-Billiard Association, and Grzegorz Kędzierski, President of the Polish Billiards Association.
The European Heyball Open was another major international billiards event held in Kielce. The tournament began immediately after the conclusion of the European Heyball Championships, which meant that the capital of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship remained at the centre of international heyball competition for many consecutive days.
The event was also another important opportunity to promote this form of billiards in Poland and across Europe. More than one hundred participants, a strong international field, a substantial prize fund and full video coverage from all 16 tables underlined the scale of the event and the growing importance of heyball on the global billiards scene.
©Maciej Urban/Polish Billiard Association
Grzegorz Kędzierski, President of the Polish Billiards Association, highlighted the organisational success of the event:
“The tournament brought a large number of athletes to Kielce and had a positive impact on the local tourism sector. The players already knew Kielce as a strong host, but once again the event exceeded their expectations. Many were particularly impressed by the main arena and the TV table setup, comparing the standard to major international events. The cooperation between the Polish Billiards Association, EPBF and Fortis Bilard Kielce, together with strong support from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the Marshal’s Office of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship and JOY from China, translated directly into the quality of the event. We can be very satisfied with the organisational success.”
The sponsors and partners of the European Heyball Open are:
JOY from China, the European Pocket Billiard Federation, the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the Marshal’s Office of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, FORTIS Bilard Kielce, Aramith from Belgium, LiberWin from China, DynaSpheres, Targi Kielce and Grand Hotel.
The event is held under the honorary patronage of Renata Janik, Marshal of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, and Jakub Rutnicki, Minister of Sport and Tourism.
Media partners:
TVP3 Kielce, Sportklub Polska, TVSPORTS.PL, Radio Kielce, Echo Dnia, Telewizja Świętokrzyska, Radio EM, Radio Fama, Radio ESKA 2, CKsport.pl, W Kielcach, Allison Chang, AZBilliards, 77 Billiard, WPA Live and On Cue Podcast.