A TOP Chippenham pool player will try and guide a team of disabled athletes to glory when they take part in a world championship event later this month.

Shaun Ryan, is the manager of England’s special needs pool team, and will travel with seven men and women who fly out on Sunday to take will be taking part in the tournament,which will be held in Killarney in Ireland.

“We fly out Sunday and I’ve been manager of the team for nearly a year-and-a-half,” said Mr Ryan, 54, who plays at the Royal Sports Club in Chippenham and has managed the team for almost 18 months, said: “In that time though we have won the Nations Cup and lost in the finals of the European Championships. All these players are from around the UK and we have people who have Down’s Syndrome and there is one who has got a bone disease so can’t stand but they make you quite humble, they never grumble or complain.

“I’m hoping that we can get through the group stages and into the semi-finals and then it’s just all on the day, I wouldn’t say we were favourites though.”

The group have had to raised their own money to travel to the tournament – approximately £1,000 – and have also received funding from Swindon company Industria, who have paid for the team’s shirts and transport.

Mr Ryan will also be taking part in the Masters World Championship event – taking place at the same time – and captain the over-50s England side in their bid to win.

The tournament begins on October 11.