Hyderabad: Having hosted a couple of world championships in cue sports and drafted in a world class academy, Hyderabad has positioned itself as a prime pocket for snooker and billiards, according to city-based Capt PVK Mohan, president of the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) as well as the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI). Lauding the Indian players’ performances on the international circuit while inaugurating a selection tournament for them, Capt Mohan said Hyderabad will host the Indian Open next month.
“Hyderabad is indeed turning into a hub for cue sports. The city will host the Indian Open from July 5 to 9,” he said, adding “the World Billiards in 2003 and World Snooker championships in 2009 (held in Hyderabad) are events that are still talked about in cue sports circles.” “Hyderabad is a happening place as far as cue sports are concerned,” added BSFI secretary S. Balasubramanian. The Andhra Pradesh Billiards and Snooker Association had planned a state-of-the-art snooker facility in Hyderabad on lines of the famous Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England that hosts snooker Worlds. A blueprint too was drafted but then the state, and the associations, were bifurcated. “Because of the partition of the state, work with regard to the academy has been delayed but now things should be back on track under the leadership of Telangana Cue Sports Association president Konda Vishweshar Reddy, who is also a Member of Parliament from TRS which rules the state,” Capt Mohan said.
However, the ISBF chief was all praise for the Indians’ surge. “Our players have been doing extremely well on the international circuit. Pankaj (Advani) has just come back from Abu Dhabi, where he won the gold in the Asian 6-reds. Manan Chandra won the bronze. We also won the team silver. Wherever our players go, they return with a bagful of medals. India has surely become a force in cue sports and our contingents are the biggest at events. It augurs well for the sport and encourages office-bearers like us to do even more,” he said.
