Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Potting his way to fame
|
An established player at the national level, Prem is using his experience to train youngsters in billiards and snooker, says RAYAN ROZARIO
|
GIVE HIM the cue and he'll pot on the green baize with ease. Today, he is ranked among the top billiards and snooker players in the State.
The 38-year-old player from Coimbatore maintained his form to capture his 13th consecutive billiards title toppling the well-known Antim Singhi of the Tamil Nadu Billiards and Snooker Association (TNBSA) in a four-hour-long final at the Pro Lease Inter Pro TNBSA State ranking tournament in Chennai in November.
A week later, the former India amateur No. 1 and Asian Games star, pocketed the snooker title beating the same opponent.
Prem took to the game seriously during college. "I used to accompany my father, a district-level player, for matches at various clubs in Udhagamandalam. I developed interest in the game and, from then on, started potting seriously," says Prem, who won his first major title in the competitive circuit in the State ranking tournament in 1991.
He represented India in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games and, in the very next year, won the M.J. Laffir tournament in Colombo. Despite these wins, he still cherishes his eighth place finish at the Malta World championship in 1998.
The soft-spoken champion soon decided to use his experience for training the next generation of players.
Training youngsters
He started the Champions Billiards Academy (CBA) in Coimbatore a couple of years ago. "We have good infrastructure and this helps players do well at the international level," he says.
Prem is quite happy with his efforts. "We have a bunch of youngsters such as Samarjit, Varun, Jai Ganesh, Praveen, Girish and Naveen who are keen about the game. The scenario is certainly better than it was a decade ago. But, there is still scope for improvement," avers Prem, who is currently being sponsored by Jai's Mens Collections (JMC), Tirupur.
Sponsors needed
"We need to create awareness and encourage more youngsters to take up the game. Aggressive promotion and tapping potential talent will help develop the sport. Sponsors are also a major worry. Luckily, the Lakshmi Mills Company sponsored me for more than a decade. We need more such sponsors," he adds.
A great fan of Geeth Sethi, Prem disagrees with the notion that billiards is an elitist game. "Playing billiards or snooker is not very expensive. Anybody can come to our club, pick up a cue and start potting."
Prem says his family's encouragement has helped him perform well. The champion player has also organised several district, state level and invitation billiards and snooker tournaments in his academy.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
|
