Cue Sports
Pune to host Heyball World Championships, 20 Indians to take part in $400,000 extravaganza
Most of the world’s elite cueists have confirmed their participation in the $400,000 Apex Sports 3rd WPA Heyball World Championships, scheduled to be held at the Rajan Khinvasara Billiards and Snooker Academy at the Jairaj Sports & Convention Centre in Pune from August 12 to 15.
Players from nearly 37 countries will compete in the four-day extravaganza. The field for this newest discipline in cue sports consists of 64 players in each category (men and women). India will field 20 players, 10 men and 10 women, including one junior entry in each section.
“It is the highest prize money cue sports event in India so far,” said S Balasubramaniam, president of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI). “I’m sure this tournament will do a lot of good for the popularity of heyball in India. This is probably the first time, in any sport in the country, that men and women will compete for equal prize money,” said the BSFI president.
“We bid for the event as part of the federation’s centenary celebrations, and we are keen to host the event in a wonderful manner,” said Sunil Bajaj, secretary-general of the BSFI. “The federation is also looking to host at least one international heyball event every year,” he added.
“The big-ticket event will follow the double-elimination format until the pre-quarterfinals stage,” said Shivam Arora, founder and CEO of Apex Sports, which was appointed by the federation as the organiser and commercial rights holder of the World Pool Association (WPA) event.
Amee Kamani leads the Indian challenge in the $400,000 Apex Sports 3rd WPA Heyball World Championships in Pune. Amee had won the bronze medal in the last edition of the championship.
“This event reflects the continued efforts of the BSFI to expand the sport’s reach, create greater competitive opportunities for Indian players, and establish India as a trusted host for world-class sporting events,” said Arora, who is one of the direct entrants in the event.
Cherag Ramkrishnan, president of the Billiards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra, was thrilled to host the event in the state. “With heyball captivating the world with its shorter and quicker formats, it is a privilege for Maharashtra to be hosting this prestigious event in Pune. The facility there, built by our former president, was designed for mega events such as this,” he said.
“Maharashtra has always been at the forefront of having world-class events and maintaining an event calendar that is full throughout the year. Events like these showcase the infrastructure available in Maharashtra. Our state has produced, and continues to produce, world-class talent across all disciplines, thanks to the culture and proactive approach of the federation and the state association,” Cherag added.
Indian players in the draw: Men: Shivam Arora, Sundeep Gulati (both direct entries), Laxman Rawat, Divya Sharma, Brijesh Damani, Paras Gupta, Kamal Chawla, Himanshu Jain, Abhinav Dhiman, Aarav Sancheti.
Women: Amee Kamani, Vidya Pillai (both direct entries), Natasha Chethan, Varshaa Sanjeev, L Shruthi, Neena Praveen, Keerthana Pandian, Anupama Ramachandran, Padmakshe, Gianna Rego.