The Hindu : U Aung San Oo back in contention

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 21, 2002

Sport

Sport - Billiards & Snooker

U Aung San Oo back in contention
By Avinash Nair

BANGALORE, MARCH 20. U Aung San Oo of Myanmar won praise from none other than Devendra Joshi. Joshi, as all Indian billiards followers care to understand, is not one to flatter another. But after going through a difficult opening day encounter against the Myanmar lad, the Bharat Petroleum Officer did have a word of praise for the worthy who lost to him in a tight contest.

Today the lad from Myanmar came to terms with himself to record his second win, after two successive defeats, to be in contention for a possible knock-out berth from pool A in the Om Kotak Asian billiards championship at the KSBA hall here.

Aung San Oo played percentage billiards. Frills is not something the lad indulges in, and his potting potential came to the fore especially in the second and third frames wherein Singapore's Ronnie Chua Poh Teck was left twitching his thumb in his corner. Aung's best of an unfinished 89 came in the third frame.

The day turned out to be a happy one for India and coach Micheal Ferreira. Dhruv Sitwala, after two successive defeats, came into his own to shut out the challenge from Indonesia's Muslim at 3-0 with the scores being 101-28, 101-0, 101-48 that came with an unfinished 93 in the third.

Pankaj Advani's roller coaster ride continued. Only this time the 16-year-old showed no signs of nerves, more so for he exerted little pressure on to himself. The young Bangalorean won straight games over Singapore's Glen Yeo Teck Shin with a 100-44, 100-2, 100-2 scoreline that gave the Singaporean no chance to come into the match.

Alok Kumar, the second ranked Indian in the fray, got his act together. The bespectacled Punjab cueist shrugged aside the close first frame loss to put it across Uden Khaimukh of Thailand with consummate ease after losing the first frame. Alok won 92-100, 100-17, 100-56, 100-8 with an unfinished 97 in the second frame.

Devendra Joshi registered his fourth win in pool A. Against Sri Lankan veteran Henry Boteju, Joshi with utter contempt unleashed his prowess to snuff out the challenge for a straight 3-0 win. Joshi's 101-50, 102-63, 100-51 win came with little effort as the Sri Lankan squandered some simple top-of-the-table cannons, to virtually gift the match away.

Boteju, who complained off chest disorder after his encounter against Joshi in the morning, was never his usual self. Pitted against the young Dhruv Sitwala, the 59-year-old Sri Lankan clinched the first frame but thereafter lost his way. Sitwala won with some impressive play at 26-100, 100-2, 101-69, 99-22 (conceded) to post his second win of the day.

The results: Group A: U Aung San Oo (Myan) bt Ronnie Chua Poh Teck (Sing) 3-0 (101-97, 101-6, 101-0); Devendra Joshi (Ind) bt H. Boteju (SL) 3-0 (101-50, 102-63, 100-51; Geet Sethi (Ind) bt Mongkhon K (Thai) 3-0 (100-9, 101-23, 101-8); Dhruv Sitwala (Ind) bt Muslim (Indo) 3-0 (101-28, 101-00, 101-48); Muslim bt Ronnie Chua Poh Teck 3-0 (101-75, 100-60, 101-78); Dhruv Sitwala bt Boteju 3-1 (26-100, 100-2, 101-69, 99-22 (conceded); Mongkhon K (Thai) bt U Aung San Oo (Myan) 3-1 (99- 101, 101-22, 100-40, 100-90).

Group B: Alok Kumar (Ind) bt Uden Khimukh (Thai) 3-1 (92-100, 100-17, 100-56, 100-8); U Win Myint (Myan) bt Teck Chug Alan Luan (Sing) 3-1 (100-28, 100-73, 59-100, 101-4); Ashok Shandilya (Ind) bt U. Kyaw Oo (Myan) 3-0 (100-40, 100-67, 101-62); Pankaj Advani (Ind) bt Glen Yeo Teck Shin (Sing) 3-0 (100-44, 100-2, 100-2).

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