Eighteen-year-old Thai prodigy Panchaya Channoi has etched her name into the sport's history books after defeating England's veteran champion Reanne Evans 6–2 to claim the World Women's Snooker Championship 2026 title in Dongguan, China.
Tuesday's title showdown at the Dongguan Changping Snooker Centre in Guangdong province, pitted the reigning the Thai world U21 champion against the most decorated player in the women's game.
Evans, ranked world No.4, has lifted the world crown a record 12 times. The English cueist, appearing in her first world final since 2019, had never before been beaten in a title match but a record-extending 13th crown proved elusive. It was the teenager from Thailand, better known to the local fans as Mind Sakol, who produced a masterclass to secure victory in commanding fashion.
Panchaya, who claimed the scalps of Chinese hopeful Bai Yulu and former Thai world champion Nutcharut Wongharuthai on her way to final, opened with a dazzling century break of 100 in the first frame before racing to a 3–0 lead.
Evans rallied with wins in the fourth and fifth frames, narrowing the gap to 3–2, but the Thai youngster responded with composure and brilliance, compiling a tournament-high break of 107 to move 4–2 ahead.
She then captured the seventh frame before sealing the match with a decisive 59 break in the eighth. Her triumph makes Panchaya only the third Thai woman to win the world title, following in the footsteps of Nutcharut and Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan.
The victory came just 24 hours after Panchaya successfully defended her U21 crown, giving her two world titles in as many days. The victory also earned her £13,000 in prize money.
