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Photo H. Vibhu

Right on cue Atit B. Shah

Well, it was not because the young lady was a hot talent but because the national tennis circuit was hit by a players’ boycott that year. With only eight girls in the fray, she got a direct berth into the quarterfinal, and with it an AITA point despite losing the match.

For almost a year after that, that point offered Rosie a happy seeding at State tournaments.

Rosie was in the news again the other day when she won the Kerala State senior billiards title at the Regional Sports Centre. It was the first time she was playing the game.

Rosie Sam

“The RSC coach Sadanandan gave me instructions for about 20 minutes before my game. And I’ve been watching my son Samor play. That helped,” said Rosie. Also, the fact that just four women figured in the event.

Well, almost anybody could have walked into the RSC billiards room last week and returned with some of the best prizes in women’s billiards and snooker!

Despite producing the country’s first junior national snooker champion in Mohan George – he thrashed the great Geet Sethi 3-0 in the final three decades ago – it has been a big struggle for the green baize game in Kerala the last few years.

It’s a fact that the Kerala State Billiards Association has not been able to get youngsters to crowd the many tables in the State. A few years ago, there were plans to lure the youngsters thronging the pool and snooker tables in the city to the serious snooker. But nothing seems to have come of it.

“Some 30 boys came for the RSC summer camp but very few continued after that,” said M.F.Mundaden, the KSBA President. “And quality is lacking among youngsters, you don’t see any decent breaks.”

The KBSA did not plan to hold the junior championships this time. “No entries,” said Mundaden a couple of days before the State Championship.

A little later, he managed to rope in some eight boys for the events. Akhil Johnson, a footballer at the Cochin Port Trust’s Kendriya Vidyalaya a few years ago and a snooker summer camper at the RSC, won both the billiards and snooker titles this time.

The 18-year-old B.Com student of Bharatha Matha College took up the sport two years ago at Kaloor’s Sixth Avenue with snooker and pool. “Now that I’ve become State junior champion, I think I’ll take up the game seriously now,” he said.

The women’s championship was virtually arranged in a couple of days.

Often, even the State men’s champions, mostly businessmen, have to be coaxed to play the State Championship. And very rarely do they go for the National Championship.

“I may go if it is in Mumbai. But not if it’s in Jan. or Feb.,” said Atit B. Shah, a spices merchant at Mattancherry, who won the State senior snooker title. “That will be the harvest time for spices.”

The 30-year-old last played the Nationals almost a decade ago. And he trains just once in three or four months at Mattancherry’s Coronation Club. “There’s no maintenance at our club after our marker P.K.V.Menon passed away three years ago. Now, just about four or five boys play but very rarely,” said Atit.

“Still, the junior scene is a lot better than what it was two years ago. At least we have a few boys playing, thanks to the Regional Sports Centre,” said Mohan George who retained the State billiards title, comfortably beating the seasoned A.R.Azeem.

“They’ll do well if they continue for a few years,” said Mohan, who opted to concentrate on academics and then in business despite being the country’s best junior.

Apart from Mohan George, Kerala lone junior national champion, Kerala also had junior national silver medallists in Mathew Thomas (snooker) and A.R.Azeem (billiards).

The newcomers have to just browse through the State’s rich history for inspiration.

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