Chengdu, August 16, 2025 – The Europe Today: China’s Xiao Guodong made history on Thursday by defeating Michael Georgiou of Cyprus 2–1 in the men’s snooker final at the 2025 Chengdu World Games, earning both his and China’s first-ever gold medal in snooker at the global competition.
The 36-year-old, ranked World No. 13, opted to skip the Saudi Arabia Masters to represent his country in Chengdu, a decision that paid off with a landmark victory.
Xiao opened the match with an aggressive performance in the first frame, edging Georgiou 53–39 to secure an early lead. However, Georgiou quickly hit back in style, producing a century break in the second frame to level the contest and force a decisive third frame.
The final frame proved tense, with Xiao initially moving ahead 57–32. A foul allowed Georgiou to narrow the gap with precise work on the black ball, but Xiao held his nerve, sinking the pink to seal the 2–1 triumph and secure the gold medal.
“I’m so glad for the victory,” Xiao said after the match. “We had been training for the World Games for a month. I think we all did excellent work in Chengdu, whether we won the gold medal or not. Our efforts paid off. I played in both the first and the final matches, and was under a lot of pressure. I hope Team China can have a perfect wrap-up.”
The victory marks a milestone moment for Chinese snooker on the world stage, with Xiao’s gold expected to inspire a new generation of players in the sport.
