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Snooker at the Summer Paralympics facts for kids

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Snooker at the Summer Paralympics
Snooker pictogram (Paralympics).svg
Governing body IWAS
Events 2 (men)
Games
  • 1960
  • 1964
  • 1968
  • 1972
  • 1976
  • 1980
  • 1984
  • 1988
  • 1992
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020
  • 2024

  • Medalists

In September 1943, the British government asked neurologist Ludwig Guttmann to establish the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire. When the centre opened in 1944, Guttmann was appointed its director and held the position until 1966. Sport was introduced as part of the total rehabilitation programme for patients at the centre, starting with darts, snooker, punchball, and skittles, followed by archery.

Guttmann organised the first Stoke Mandeville Games for paraplegic persons in the form of an archery demonstration with two teams, which took place on 29 July 1948, the same day as the start of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. Netball was then added as an event in 1949, and javelin throw in 1950. Snooker was first introduced into the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1951 and was included in every annual event up to 1959.

Guttmann originally used the term Paraplegic Games, a name that eventually developed into the "Paralympic Games" (or "Paralympics"), which were first held in Rome alongside the Summer Olympics in 1960.

Snooker was included at the inaugural Summer Paralympics of 1960, held in Rome. The event took place outdoors in a covered area of a running track, on a table that was sent over from Stoke Mandeville Hospital. With the exception of 1980, snooker was then contested at each subsequent Summer Paralympics until 1988, a total of seven Paralympic Games.

Snooker was only open to male competitors at the Paralympics. Over its Paralympic history, the event was dominated by Great Britain, who won eight gold medals in the sport, three of which were awarded to Nottinghamshire player Michael Shelton.

Medal winners

Men

1960
Event Gold Silver Bronze
Men's paraplegic open Cliff Keaton
 Great Britain
Michael Shelton
 Great Britain
Giovanni Ferraris
 Italy
George Portelli
 Malta
1964
Event Gold Silver Bronze
Men's paraplegic open Michael Shelton
 Great Britain
Frank Vecera
 United States
Claude Markham
 Malta
George Portelli
 Malta
1968
Event Gold Silver Bronze
Men's paraplegic open Michael Shelton
 Great Britain
Jimmy Gibson
 Ireland
John Newton
 Australia
Aroldo Ruschioni
 Italy
1972
Event Gold Silver Bronze
Men's paraplegic Michael Shelton
 Great Britain
Jimmy Gibson
 Ireland
Aroldo Ruschioni
 Italy
Men's tetraplegic Peter Haslam
 Great Britain
Cliff Rickard
 Australia
Chris McGann
 Great Britain
1976
Event Gold Silver Bronze
Men's 2-5 D. Mellway
 Canada
Brian Faulkner
 Great Britain
Michael Shelton
 Great Britain
Men's A-C Tommy Taylor
 Great Britain
Rod Vleiger
 United States
P. Haslam
 Great Britain
1984
Event Gold Silver Bronze
Men's paraplegic Jimmy Gibson
 Ireland
J. Buchanan
 Great Britain
Mike Langley
 Great Britain
Men's tetraplegic P. Haslam
 Great Britain
K. Ellison
 Great Britain
Tommy Taylor
 Great Britain
1988
Event Gold Silver Bronze
Men's open Mike Langley
 Great Britain
Michael White
 Ireland
Maurice Job
 Great Britain

Medal table

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
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

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Snooker en los Juegos Paralímpicos para niños

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