R.T. Mohita took to snooker just a couple of years ago and within a short span she has risen to the top of the game. She won the sub-junior silver medal at the National Snooker Championships in Bangalore recently and will now represent India in the Under-18 World Snooker Championship to be held in Jinan, China in July and the Under-16 championship in Russia.
It requires tremendous conviction to come up to this level without any big support from the local sports association. Mohita had the burning desire to achieve big in snooker and her sports-loving father S. Ramesh stood by her rock solid.
Mohita who is a ninth grader at Jeevana International School, is adept both in billiards and snooker but prefers the latter as she finds snooker far more challenging and racy. She even compares the game to the tactics adopted in Formula One racing. “In racing, you will never allow the rival to move ahead. Same way, in snooker you have to pot and at the same time should make life difficult for your rival by placing the cue-ball in difficult angles. It is quite interesting and demands a lot of skill,” she says.
It is not that she came into sports much late. She was a table tennis player for seven years and had finished second in many state ranking tournaments. But, she did not get her due in the game that was her first love. Denied opportunities strengthened her determination to succeed in a new sport. “I was upset when I was not given enough opportunities to play better. But now I have a free hand to explore and experiment. Winning or losing depends on my ability and not on any external factor,” she says.
After deciding not to participate in any table tennis tournament, Mohita was looking for new avenues. Her father Ramesh introduced her to snooker. “I was desperate to help my daughter shine in sports at international level. One of my friends suggested snooker and the opportunities available especially for girls in this sport,” says Ramesh, who runs computer sales and service shop.
He took her to a billiards and snooker parlour near his shop. Initially, she had a lukewarm interest in the sport as there was no one to guide her. But her enthusiasm caught the eyes of those who came there to play for fun. “Local player Senthil coached her initially then I took her to former champion Prem Prakash in Coimbatore who took special interest in Mohita after seeing her passion for the game. She stayed there for a month to learn the nuances of the game. Her perseverance finally paid rich dividends as she won silver medal in state age-group snooker championships.
She represented the state in the nationals. Pitted against much experienced and ranked player Keerthana at the quarterfinal stage itself, Mohita fought hard but could not cross the bar in Junior and woman categories. In the sub-junior, Mohita faced Keerthana in the final and lost. “It’s just two years. She is still on the learning curve. There is plenty of time and in another year or two, she will sure show better results,” says Ramesh.
Mohita spends close to three hours everyday on practice. “There is no big prize money involved, but the satisfaction derived from achievements keeps me going,” she says.
She rues that there are few takers for snooker even though the game has produced many international champions. Having put in so much hardwork, it is time for Mohita to translate her promises into results.
