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Billiards and snooker academy in the city
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Things are beginning to look up for billiards and snooker players in the city
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Photo: Ramesh Babu
AT THE HELM Captain P.V.K.Mohan is all for promotion of the game
The efforts of Capt P.V.K. Mohan, president of the AP Billiards and Snooker Association, to promote the sport in a big way got a major fillip with the State Government allotting two acres of prime land near Hi-Tec City to set up a Centre of Excellence for Billiards and Snooker.
Capt. Mohan's announcement at the formal inauguration of the second-leg of Indian Cue Masters championship with a prize money Rs.4.5 lakhat Jubilee Hills International Centre was just what the doctor had prescribed for the sport. Struggling for training space till the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh allotted the corridor of the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy Indoor Stadium, the cueists from the State should now only look ahead.
With innovative concepts like the Cue Masters League featuring three events — pool, 50-point billiards and a one-frame snooker contest, the officials are trying to generate the desired interest amongst the youth. "We have decided to construct a state-of-the-art academy on the lines of the famous Crucible and it should cost about Rs.4 crore," Capt Mohan said amidst applause from the players and officials. He also informed us that with the introduction of billiards and snooker in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the Indians should hope for a bigger medal haul.
The APSBA chief said that by involving the Confederation of Indian Industry in the organisation of the Cue Masters championship, a right beginning was made to involve the industry in a non-cricketing discipline.
"We are also looking for help from the CII in setting up the Academy in Hyderabad," he said looking to M.K. Patodia, chairman of CII.
Geet Sethi, president of Billiards and Snooker Players Association of India, stressed that it is time sports other cricket are marketed in the desired manner to make them equally popular.
"We were told that 94 per cent of the Corporate money on sports is spent only cricket. Even if five per cent of that is allotted to billiards, we could produc more world champions than any other sport," he appealed. "With Capt Mohan (who also happens to be the vice-president of ISBF) at the helm, the future looks rosy," Geet reminded. BSPAI had drawn out long-term plans this year in view of the Doha Asian Games.
"For the next eight months, each of us will be engaged in a coaching camp or competition and we hope to continue to bring laurels to the country at the highest level," he assured the select gathering. With organisations like the Jubilee Hills International Centre, which is hosting the Cue Masters League, the response from the private sector is also expected to witness an upswing.
V. V. SUBRAHMANYAM
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