Snooker at the Summer Paralympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snooker at the Summer Paralympics |
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| Governing body | IWAS |
| Events | 2 (men) |
| Games | |
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Snooker is a fun table game played with cues and balls. It was once a sport in the Paralympic Games, which are like the Olympic Games but for athletes with disabilities. Snooker was part of the Paralympics from 1960 to 1988, except for one year.
The story of snooker in the Paralympics starts during World War II. In 1943, the British government asked a doctor named Ludwig Guttmann to open a special hospital center. This center, called the National Spinal Injuries Centre, opened in 1944 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Dr. Guttmann believed that sports could help patients get better, not just physically but also mentally. He started by introducing games like darts, snooker, and skittles to his patients. Later, archery was added.
Dr. Guttmann then organized the first Stoke Mandeville Games on July 29, 1948. This was a special archery competition for people with spinal injuries. It happened on the very same day the 1948 Summer Olympics began in London! Over the years, more sports were added, like netball in 1949 and javelin throw in 1950. Snooker joined the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1951 and was played every year until 1959.
Dr. Guttmann first called these events the Paraplegic Games. This name eventually changed to the "Paralympic Games" (or "Paralympics"). The first official Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, right after the Summer Olympics.
Snooker was included in these first Summer Paralympics in 1960. The snooker event took place outside, under a covered area, using a special table sent from Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Snooker was then played at almost every Summer Paralympics until 1988, making it part of seven Paralympic Games in total.
Only male athletes competed in snooker at the Paralympics. Over its history in the Games, Great Britain was very successful, winning eight gold medals. A player from Nottinghamshire named Michael Shelton was especially good, winning three of those gold medals himself!
Medal winners
Snooker was a popular event, and many talented athletes won medals. Here's a look at which countries won the most medals in snooker at the Paralympic Games:
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
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| 1 |  Great Britain (GBR) |
8 | 4 | 6 | 18 |
| 2 |  Ireland (IRL) |
1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 |  Canada (CAN) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 |  United States (USA) |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 |  Australia (AUS) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 |  Italy (ITA) |
0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
 Malta (MLT) |
0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| Totals (7 entries) | 10 | 10 | 13 | 33 | |
Images for kids
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The symbol for snooker at the Paralympics.
See also
In Spanish: Snooker en los Juegos Paralímpicos para niños
