KIELCE, POLAND — The World Pool Association (WPA) congratulates Lee Stephens (Great Britain) and Melanie Bakhtaoui-Suessenguth (Germany) on capturing the men’s and women’s individual titles at the 2026 European Heyball Championships, following an outstanding week of competition in Kielce, Poland.
Organized by the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and sanctioned by the World Pool Association (WPA) under the governance framework of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS), the championships brought together Europe’s leading Heyball athletes to compete for continental honours in both the men’s and women’s divisions.
Stephens Produces Remarkable Comeback to Claim European Crown
The men’s championship concluded with a dramatic final between Great Britain’s Lee Stephens and Poland’s Radosław Babica in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at the Grand Hotel Kielce.
Babica appeared in complete control after establishing a commanding 5–1 advantage. However, Stephens responded with a remarkable run of five consecutive racks to level the match at 5–5, setting up a winner-takes-all deciding rack.
With the match clock expired, the final rack would determine the European champion. Babica came within one shot of securing the title before narrowly missing a difficult 8-ball. Stephens seized the opportunity, producing a composed clearance under immense time pressure to complete a memorable 6–5 victory and claim his first European Heyball Championship.
Following his victory, Stephens reflected on the significance of the achievement.
“This title means everything to me. A year ago, I decided to step away from snooker, which I had played all my life for 30 years, and put everything into Heyball. This trophy is proof of all the hard work I’ve put in and shows that I’m heading in the right direction.”
Men’s Podium
🥇 Lee Stephens (Great Britain)
🥈 Radosław Babica (Poland)
🥉 Yuma Dörner (Germany)
🥉 Filip Bermanec (Croatia)
Bakhtaoui-Suessenguth Triumphs in Women’s Championship
Germany’s Melanie Bakhtaoui-Suessenguth completed an impressive championship campaign by defeating Belgium’s Anja Vandenbussche 4–3 in a closely contested women’s final.
Her path to the title showcased exceptional resilience, overcoming Poland’s Monika Ząbek in the quarter-finals before edging France’s Ophélie Laval in another deciding-frame semi-final. The championship match was equally competitive, with Bakhtaoui-Suessenguth holding her nerve to secure the European crown.
Following her victory, the newly crowned champion said:
“I still cannot believe this success. I put so much effort into making my dreams come true. I felt a lot of pressure during the final, but I tried to focus on each shot. I would especially like to thank my sister, who is currently taking care of my son. Her support motivated me even more to achieve something special in Poland.”
Women’s Podium
🥇 Melanie Bakhtaoui-Suessenguth (Germany)
🥈 Anja Vandenbussche (Belgium)
🥉 Dalia Alska (Poland)
🥉 Ophélie Laval (France)
The WPA congratulates all medalists for their outstanding performances throughout the championships and extends its appreciation to the EPBF, the Polish Billiard Association (PZBil), tournament officials, referees, volunteers, and partners for delivering a successful European Championship.
Focus Shifts to the European Team Championships and European Heyball Open
While the individual champions have now been crowned, the action in Kielce continues.
Today, the European Team Heyball Championship Finals take centre stage, where Europe’s top national teams will compete for continental honours.
The Opening Ceremony for the 2026 European Heyball Open will also take place today, officially welcoming athletes from across the globe ahead of the start of competition. The WPA-sanctioned international event will feature 128 athletes (64 men and 64 women) competing for a total prize fund of USD $116,000, with matches streamed live worldwide on WPALive.TV, the official broadcast platform of the World Pool Association.
As the international field assembles in Poland, the European Heyball Open marks the next chapter in an exciting week of world-class Heyball competition, bringing together elite players from five continents to compete on one of the sport’s biggest international stages.
Media Contact
World Pool Association (WPA)
Media & Communications Department
📧 media@wpapool.com
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