Maks Benko of Slovenia and Waratthanun Sukritthanes of Thailand have been crowned champions of the 2026 European Heyball Open after taking the men’s and women’s titles in Kielce, Poland.
Held at the Grand Hotel Kielce, the international tournament attracted 102 players, including 64 men and 38 women, and featured a total prize fund of US$116,000.
Benko Claims Men’s European Heyball Open Title
Maks Benko completed an impressive run through the knockout stages by defeating Great Britain’s Jordan Shepherd 7-4 in the men’s final.
The Slovenian began the closing stages with a 7-4 quarter-final victory over Germany’s Yuma Dörner before producing one of his strongest performances of the tournament in a 7-2 semi-final win against Pakistan’s Arfan Dad.
On the other side of the bracket, Shepherd edged Kęstutis Žadeikis 6-5 in the quarter-finals before dominating Poland’s Radosław Babica 7-1 in the semi-finals.
Benko then took control of the championship match, defeating Shepherd 7-4 to secure the European Heyball Open crown.
Men’s Knockout Results
| Stage | Winner | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final | Maks Benko 🇸🇮 | Yuma Dörner 🇩🇪 | 7-4 |
| Quarter-final | Arfan Dad 🇵🇰 | Jose Alberto Delgado | 7-4 |
| Quarter-final | Jordan Shepherd 🇬🇧 | Kęstutis Žadeikis 🇱🇹 | 6-5 |
| Quarter-final | Radosław Babica 🇵🇱 | Roman Hybler | 5-4 |
| Semi-final | Maks Benko 🇸🇮 | Arfan Dad 🇵🇰 | 7-2 |
| Semi-final | Jordan Shepherd 🇬🇧 | Radosław Babica 🇵🇱 | 7-1 |
| Final | Maks Benko 🇸🇮 | Jordan Shepherd 🇬🇧 | 7-4 |
Men’s Final Standings
| Place | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Maks Benko | Slovenia 🇸🇮 |
| 2nd | Jordan Shepherd | Great Britain 🇬🇧 |
| 3rd | Arfan Dad | Pakistan 🇵🇰 |
| 3rd | Radosław Babica | Poland 🇵🇱 |
Sukritthanes Takes Women’s Crown
Waratthanun Sukritthanes delivered an equally impressive finish in the women’s competition, defeating Great Britain’s Mary Talbot 6-3 in the championship match.
Sukritthanes survived a tight 5-4 quarter-final against South Africa’s Marina Jacobs before defeating Mongolia’s Narantuya Bayarsaikhan 6-3 in the semi-finals.
Talbot earned her place in the final by defeating Japan’s Tamami Okuda 6-3 in the quarter-finals and Germany’s Veronika Halliday 5-4 in the last four.
In the title match, Sukritthanes proved too strong, completing a 6-3 victory to give Thailand the women’s European Heyball Open title.
Women’s Knockout Results
| Stage | Winner | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final | Mary Talbot 🇬🇧 | Tamami Okuda 🇯🇵 | 6-3 |
| Quarter-final | Veronika Halliday 🇩🇪 | Katarzyna Wesołowska 🇵🇱 | 5-4 |
| Quarter-final | Narantuya Bayarsaikhan 🇲🇳 | April Larson 🇺🇸 | 6-5 |
| Quarter-final | Waratthanun Sukritthanes 🇹🇭 | Marina Jacobs 🇿🇦 | 5-4 |
| Semi-final | Mary Talbot 🇬🇧 | Veronika Halliday 🇩🇪 | 5-4 |
| Semi-final | Waratthanun Sukritthanes 🇹🇭 | Narantuya Bayarsaikhan 🇲🇳 | 6-3 |
| Final | Waratthanun Sukritthanes 🇹🇭 | Mary Talbot 🇬🇧 | 6-3 |
Women’s Final Standings
| Place | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Waratthanun Sukritthanes | Thailand 🇹🇭 |
| 2nd | Mary Talbot | Great Britain 🇬🇧 |
| 3rd | Veronika Halliday | Germany 🇩🇪 |
| 3rd | Narantuya Bayarsaikhan | Mongolia 🇲🇳 |
International Field Competes in Kielce
The European Heyball Open featured players from several countries and continents, with all 16 tournament tables streamed during the event.
The tournament followed immediately after the European Heyball Championships in Kielce, extending the Polish city’s run as host of international heyball competition.
The field of more than 100 competitors and the US$116,000 total prize fund also underlined the continued expansion of heyball competition beyond its traditional markets.
The press release did not provide a breakdown of individual prize-money payouts for the champions or other finishing positions.
What You Need to Know
- Men’s Champion: Maks Benko 🇸🇮
- Women’s Champion: Waratthanun Sukritthanes 🇹🇭
- Men’s Final: Benko defeated Jordan Shepherd 7-4.
- Women’s Final: Sukritthanes defeated Mary Talbot 6-3.
- Venue: Grand Hotel Kielce, Kielce, Poland.
- Total Field: 102 players — 64 men and 38 women.
- Total Prize Fund: US$116,000.
- Coverage: Matches were streamed from all 16 tournament tables.