Asian Games snooker, billiards medal winners honoured in Bangalore

Pankaj Advani

Cue sports medal winners in the Guangzhou Asian Games, led by Pankaj Advani, were honoured in Bangalore today with Alok Kumar's effort coming in for special praise.
Advani bagged billiards gold, Aditya Mehta, Brijesh Damani and Yasin Merchant secured silver in the snooker team event, while Aditya Mehta (snooker singles) and Alok Kumar (8 ball pool) bagged bronze.
At a felicitation programme organised by the Billiards & Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) and Karnataka State Billiards Association (KSBA), Advani was richer by Rs1.5 lakh as BSFI and KSBA handed him a cheque of Rs1 lakh and Rs50,000, respectively.
The silver-winning team walked away with Rs75,000, and the bronze winners pocketed Rs25,000 each, as the cue sports medal haul was hailed. Damani was not present because he was indisposed.
Merchant said he personally would like to dedicate the medal to KSBA as he expressed gratitude for the preparatory camp at KSBA which stood the team good stead at Guangzhou.
He said the camp was of "highest order", "perfectly and methodically organised".
Merchant also said Alok Kumar was a revealation in the Asian Games, putting his heart into every shot that he has played.
"Alok Kumar's medal was bigger than all of ours", he remarked, a view echoed by Advani subsequently.
Advani said, "...I totally agree Alok's performance stood out in the cue sports," noting that he beat a world champion and a "guy" who played pool all his life, and winning a bronze in a tough draw was creditable.

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Pankaj Advani wins gold in men's english billiards singles

Defending champion Pankaj Advani notched up India’s first gold medal in this edition of the Asian Games in men’s the Billiards singles event after defeating Oo Nay Thway Oo of Myanmar 3-2 here on Sunday.

The former world professional champion Advani beat Nay Thway with frames of 33-100, 100-61, 12-101, 101-4, 100-45 in the summit clash here.

Earlier in the day, Advani beat another Myanmar cueist Oo Kyaw Oo 3-2 in the semifinal. The 25-year-old Bangalorean beat Kyaw with frames of 100-28, 0-100, 100-77, 11-100, 101-0.

Advani won his first world championship title in 2003 IBSF World Snooker Championship in China.

Advani, who is the only player to have achieved a grand double of winning both the points and timed formats at the IBSF World Billiards Championships 2005, repeated the same feat at the 2008 Championships held in Bangalore.

The ace cueist, however, failed to defend his title in the Point format, losing to nine-time world champion England’s Mike Russell in a one-sided final in August this year.

Among others Indians in fray at the Games here, Alok Kumar fought his way to a 7-4 win over Ricky Yang of Indonesia to advance to the semifinals of the men’s 8-ball pool.

However, compatriot Sumit Talwar squandered a 2-frame lead to lose 4-7 to Afrinneza Irsal Nasution in another quarterfinal tie.

The 42-year-old Alok will now face Kuo Po-Cheng of Chinese Taipei in the semifinal.

Alok was lagging 0-2 at one point but the Indian clawed his way back to lead 6-2, winning the next six frames on the trot to stun his rival.

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Asian Games: Singapore's Peter Gilchrist into English billiards semis

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Peter Gilchrist went through to the semi-finals of the men's English billiards singles event in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

The 42-year-old won 3-0 against South Korea's Baek Min Hu to qualify.

Gilchrist, who started his campaign with a 3-0 win over Thailand's Thawat Sujarit-thurakarn earlier Saturday, will line up against Myanmar's Oo Nay Thway Oo in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Singapore's pairing of Ang Boon Chin and Chan Keng Kwang defeated Lee Po-Hsien and Wu Yu-Lun of Chinese Taipei 3-1 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the men's snooker team event.

They will face Indian opponents in the final eight.

Keng Kwang also featured in the men's 8-ball pool singles event earlier Saturday where he crashed 5-7 to South Korea's Lee Kang.

In the women's 6-Red snooker event, Charlene Chai and Hoe Shu Wah lost 0-3 to their opponents from India.

- CNA/ir

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Korea, Philippines Prepare For Billiards Battle At 16th Asian Games

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AHN Sports Staff

Guangzhou, China (AHN) - Billiards followers are in for a riveting treat next month when the finest billiard players from Asia compete for medals at the 16th Asian Games slated for November 12-27.
Asian Games organizers are expecting a competitive playing field in billiards and pool events this year, as Filipino and South Korean cue masters lead the pack of contenders in the medal-rich sport.
Billiards legends Efren Bata Reyes, Django Bustamante, and Ronnie Alcano will once again represent the Philippines, which thrives in events like nine-ball, eight-ball, and 15-ball pool.
World 10-ball titlist Rubilen Amit aims to come up with another golden feat after snagging the gold in Doha, Qatar four years ago.
Korea also set high expectations on their cue masters, aiming to collect at least three gold medals in pool and carom events.
The Koreans believe their intensive training at the National Training Center (Taeneung Athletes' Village) will help them improve their chances this year.
The Koreans are counting on 2010 World Women's Nine-Ball Open champion Cha Yu-ram to deliver the gold in the women’s nine-ball and eight-ball pool events.


Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7020238729?Korea,%20Philippines%20Prepare%20For%20Billiards%20Battle%20At%2016th%20Asian%20Games#ixzz12sCH1Abs

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S. Korea's billiards team set to win gold at Asian Games

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South Korean billiard players are ready to shine at the upcoming Guangzhou Asian Games, equipped with a more determined and focused attitude than ever, after having a few months of training period at the National Training Center, also known as the Taeneung Athletes' Village, for the first time.

South Korean national team coach Lee Jang-soo expressed his confidence that the players will excel in Asia's biggest sports event slated for November 12-27 in China, as intensive training at the national training center has produced commendable effects.

"We aim to win a total of three gold medals, one in carom and two in pool," Lee said.

Cha Yu-ram, a strong candidate to win South Korea's first gold in pool, will seek to redeem herself at the upcoming competition from her mediocre performance in the previous Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. She reached the quarterfinals in the eight-ball event but was eliminated in the second round in nine-ball competition.

The 23-year-old player has demonstrated strong growth since the last Asian Games. She won the gold for nine-ball at the 2008 Asian Indoor Games and earned the title at the 2010 World Women's Nine-Ball Open.

Cha was not afraid to reveal her thirst for gold medal. "We haven't earned a gold medal in pool, and I have an ambition to win gold," Cha said.

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Advani, Sethi to represent India in Asian Games

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New Delhi:  Reigning World professional champion Pankaj Advani and veteran Geet Sethi will spearhead India's challenge in the billiards category in this year's Asian Games to be held in Ghungzhou, China from November 12-27.

Both Advani and Sethi qualified for the event after the completion of the fourth and final camp at the Madhya Pradesh Cue Sports Academy at Nehru Stadium in Indore last night, where they finished on top two positions.

"I am absolutely delighted to be representing India at the Asian Games. This is my fourth consecutive Asian Games. I accumulated a total of 30 points to occupy number two position," Sethi said.

"It's very difficult to get selected for the Asian Games as the standard of billiards in the selection camps are very high. No one remained undefeated in these camps, not even Pankaj. Pankaj was the most competent and consistent one who occupied number one position and then I came second," Sethi said.

However, Sethi's nearest rival for the number two spot, Rupesh Shah failed to qualify for the event despite registering a win over former world billiards champion Sethi.

Rupesh beat Sethi 3-2 but the matches he lost 2-3 against Devendra Joshi and B Bhaskar jolted his chances.

Rupesh needed to finish three spots above Sethi but failed to do so.

Rupesh finished at third position while B Bhaskar and Saurav Kothari came fourth in the eight-day long selection trials, which started on July 25.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/sports/advani-sethi-to-represent-india-in-asian-games-41803?cp

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/sports/advani-sethi-to-represent-india-in-asian-games-41803?cp

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Advani welcomes BSFI decision

Seven-time World Champion Pankaj Advani was sceptical of Billiards and Snooker Federation of India replacing the traditional bow-tie dress code with casual attires immediately but he urged the authorities to implement the idea at the earliest.

“I got the news, but I really don’t know if it will take shape,” said Advani, a major voice in attempting to change the dress code. “The idea is still in its primary phase but they should try and implement it,” the Bangalorean said on Wednesday. The informal dress code is already in use in pool, and several selection camps in recent times have also allowed the cueists to play in jeans and T-shirts. Advani said the bow-tie made it hard to breathe and the restriction in movement affected the game. “I have had this problem for a really long time and the move is very justifiable. I perfer to be able to move freely as the sport depends on it. They have brought in the change for pool and it would be really good if they do the same for billiards and snooker.” The Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited cuiest, who qualified for the Asian Games with a pole finish at the recently conducted snooker selection camp in Bangalore, said he was satisfied with his show in the camp and hoped to do well in the Games to be held in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to 27.

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Bata wants Django, De Luna for Asiad

BILLIARDS legend and RP team playing-coach Efren “Bata” Reyes wants recent world 9-ball champion Django Bustamante and Jeffrey de Luna included in the national team seeing action in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Reyes had already informed Bustamante about this, two days after the Tarlac native beat Taiwanese Kuo Po-cheng, 13-7, in the finals of the 2010 World Pool Championships (World 9-Ball) at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation hall in Doha, Qatar
“Kapag nakasama sila sa team, doon pa lang lamang na tayo kasi matatakot na kaagad ang mga kalaban natin,” said Reyes after meeting with Bustamante, along with officials of the Asian Games working committee and the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines.
Bustamante and De Luna actually missed the final cut for the national team after they were eliminated during the tryouts held earlier this year.
“Willing akong sumali sa team basta may puwesto sila sa akin,” said Bustamante, who will become part of the reserve pool with De Luna if plans pushes through.
The Asian Games working committee will still deliberate whether to include Bustamante and De Luna in the roster and will meet again with Reyes.
Reyes is part of the 8-ball team, along with Roberto Gomez and is included in the 9-ball singles pool squad with Dennis Orcullo and Warren Kiamco.
Marlon Manalo is with the national snooker pool with Leonardo Andam and Benjamin Guevarra.
The national ladies’ team, meanwhile, is composed of Rubilen Amit, Irish Ranola, Mary Ann Basas, Simonette Horian and Florida Andal. Peter Atencio

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