Indian snooker players will get an opportunity to compete against the world’s best cue sport exponents when the Asian Tour becomes a reality.
Billiards & Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) president, Capt. P.V.K. Mohan, said that a competition on those lines was in the planning stage. “We are planning an Asian Tour, similar to the events in Europe. Indian cueists won’t have to go to Europe and spend many months together trying to find their feet on the circuit.”
The federation chief, elected president last November to the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF), said that such an idea became feasible due to the performances by snooker players from Asian nations on the international level. World men’s No. 4 Ding Junhui is from China, Hong Kong’s Marco Fu is ranked 10th among snooker professionals, other Chinese stars Xiao Gudong and Liang Wenbo occupy No. 19 and 20 positions on the world list.
Ding and Wenbo will take part at the £300,000 prize money second Indian Open snooker World ranking tournament, along with last year’s runner-up Aditya Mehta from India. “Players from China, India and Thailand are getting noticed at the world level and it is time they get opportunities,” said Capt. Mohan.
The BSFI is in the process of organising two leagues for Indian players, one from the grassroots upwards and the second will see competition between India’s snooker professionals.
BSFI secretary S. Balasubramaniam added that for the grassroots league, restricted to Indian cueists, assistance in coaching and training facilities would be provided so that more youngster are exposed to the game. “The first league will target the grassroots upwards. We want to take snooker to the people, kids as young as five or six should get exposure and try their hand at the game,” said the federation president.
World Snooker Director and Professional Billiards and Snooker Association chairman, Jason Fergusson, will be present for the Indian Open snooker, according to the BSFI chief, signifying the interest among world pros in the Mumbai event.
New Delhi hosted the first edition and Capt. Mohan said that it would be rotated in different cities to increase public interest in cue sports across the nation. “Chennai is likely to host the next Indian Open,” he said.
