The Hindu : Sport / Billiards & Snooker : APSBSA confident of hosting World Cup snooker

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 03, 2004

Sport

Sport - Billiards & Snooker

APSBSA confident of hosting World Cup snooker

By V.V. Subrahmanyam

HYDERABAD, JUNE 2. The change of Government in the State may have led to the clouds of uncertainty on some of the prestigious projects like the IMG Bharata Academy and the Formula One but not on billiards and snooker. Capt P.V.K. Mohan, managing director of Seaways Shipping Ltd and President of Andhra Pradesh State Billiards and Snooker Association, told The Hindu that there would be no change in the plans of the association going ahead with the organisation of the World Cup snooker championship.

During the World billiards championship hosted here at a cost of about Rs.1.2 crores, the International Billiards & Snooker Federation has allotted the World Cup snooker to Hyderabad.

Originally, it was scheduled this November but due to general elections schedule and the subsequent change in Government, it has now been shifted to January 2005, said Capt. Mohan.

"As far as we are concerned, we have no doubts in hosting the mega event next year," he said confidently. And, he has a point.

"From our side, we always had a very healthy relationship with different political parties and more than that we have personal rapport with the gentlemen who matter in the Government irrespective of the party affiliations," he said.

The President of APSBSA says that the only hitch now is that the complete proposals have to be put before the new Chief Minster Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy.

"Since, he is not fully conversant with the plan of action of the APSBSA, we will definitely explain to him in detail our endeavour to promote the sport in a big way in the State," said Capt. Mohan.

Rough estimates for the World Cup snooker put the expenditure around Rs.8 crores and even on this front, he is confident of pooling in sponsors to raise adequate funds to adequately complement the State Government's efforts.

Meanwhile, Capt. Mohan, who had taken over the reigns of APSBSA just before the 2003 November World billiards championship, said that they would host the four State-level championships with the second one now on in Visakhapatnam.

The next two will be in Kakinada (July 2004) and Hyderabad (November 2004).

Importantly, but for a couple of districts, all the District Associations were duly formed and that the State body was making arrangements to send atleast one quality billiards table to each of them.

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