'Pae Kan-eng,' national youth champion, sends 10 academy kids to train under a top coach in China.
"Pae Kan-eng," Rittichai Chimphanang, defeated "Nick Indy" Narin Tasurin 4-1 frames to claim the 2026 Thai Under-21 Youth Snooker Championship title. "Big Hong" Sunthorn Jarumon, president of the Billiard Sports Association, expressed pride seeing homegrown academy players supported by the National Development Fund reaching the finals. The association plans to send over 10 academy players overseas to China for one month to train under a top English snooker coach. They also congratulated "Perm Sriracha," one of the academy players who earned a spot in the 2026 World Snooker Championship qualifiers. Meanwhile, Nonthaburi MP Nont Paisanlimjaroenkij teamed up with Ratchanok Srinok and Big Saraburi to push for removing snooker from the Gambling Act, urging fans to be patient.
The 2026 Thai Under-21 Youth Snooker Championship took place at PS Sport Academy Phetkasem, featuring over 91 young players nationwide. On 3 April, the final day, the event was honored by "Big Hong" Sunthorn Jarumon, president of the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand, along with Nont Paisanlimjaroenkij, Member of Parliament for Nonthaburi District 8, who presented awards to the winners.
The highlight was the final match between two players from the association's academy, part of the Professional Billiards Sports Development Center supported by the Sports Authority of Thailand. "Pae Kan-eng" Rittichai Chimphanang faced off against "Nick Indy" Narin Tasurin.
In the first frame, Narin had a chance to pot the black and then a long red but instead hit the nose of the ball, allowing Rittichai to position the cue ball perfectly and clear the table, winning 65-18 to lead 1-0. In the second frame, both players were evenly matched with alternating successes and mistakes, leading to a decider. Narin had an opportunity to win but missed, opening the door for Rittichai to pot a long black and narrowly win 65-63, taking a 2-0 lead.
The third frame saw Rittichai dominate again, skillfully handling tough shots and building a substantial lead to win 58-23, extending his lead to 3-0. The fourth frame seemed close, with Rittichai leading but then missing the green ball. Narin capitalized and came back to win 60-43, narrowing the gap to 1-3. In the fifth frame, although Narin made some errors, Rittichai seized the chance to score in series and ultimately sealed the match with a 65-35 win.
The final score saw "Pae Kan-eng" Rittichai Chimphanang defeat "Nick Indy" Narin Tasurin 4-1 frames (65-18, 65-63, 58-23, 43-60, 65-35) to claim the 2026 Thai Under-21 Youth Snooker Championship title, receiving the tournament trophy and a prize of 30,000 baht. The runner-up received a trophy and 15,000 baht. Joint third place went to "Mind Banmai" Panchaya Channon and "Break High Break" Kraiwich Wongthong, each awarded 5,000 baht. The highest break prize of 5,000 baht went to "Lomnao 108" Lomnao Isarangkul Na Ayutthaya, who made a maximum break of 117.
"Big Hong" Sunthorn Jarumon, president of the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand, congratulated Rittichai Chimphanang on his national youth championship win and praised both finalists, including Narin. He emphasized that both are products of the association’s academy and the Professional Billiards Sports Development Center supported by the Sports Authority of Thailand, reflecting the academy’s success.
The association president added that on 7 April, over 10 youth players and coaches from the academy will travel to China for one month of training. China currently leads Asia and ranks second globally after England in snooker. The best English coach, who is based in China, will also teach the Thai youth players during this period.
He also congratulated "Perm Sriracha" Prin Rasmukda, another academy product currently training at Krittathada Academy, affiliated with the association. Perm recently secured a spot in the 2026 World Snooker Championship qualifiers after finishing runner-up at the World Under-21 Championship in Bulgaria last February. The association will continue to support Thai youth players in reaching the global level.
Meanwhile, Nont Paisanlimjaroenkij, Member of Parliament for Nonthaburi District 8, expressed delight at seeing the promising young talents perform impressively. He believes that with increased government and private support, many youths could become future stars like "Theff Nakhon Nayok." However, he noted that the current Gambling Act hinders the growth of snooker in Thailand. Alongside Ratchanok Srinok and Big Saraburi, he is working on a bill to remove billiard sports from the gambling list, which currently restricts youth training access to snooker venues. This contradiction exists despite the Sports Authority of Thailand recognizing snooker as one of 14 professional sports. They are striving to resolve this conflict soon and urged snooker fans to wait patiently.