SHILLONG: The annual Meghalaya Snooker and Billiards Championship began on Monday at the Shillong Club with a total of 46 participants.
According to Narendra Singhania, the secretary of the Meghalaya Billiards and Snooker Association, the youth of the state are being drawn to the sport in greater numbers every year.
“This year there are 37 participating in snooker and nine in billiards,” Singhania said on the opening day.
The players are judged in the best of three frames, he added.
He also informed that the winner of the championship will take part at the national level in Lucknow in February.
One of the hindrances that the sport faces in Meghalaya is that the Association has no permanent facility for its activities and had to rely on the Shillong Club to host the tournament every year.
“The problem we have is that we do have a permanent place to for the tables,” Singhania said.
“We have apprised the state government about the problem faced by the association, but no action has been taken till date.”
Snooker and billiards requires great precision and skill and Singhania noted that two years ago, national coach Manoj Kothari had visited Meghalaya to share his knowledge and experience of the game.
“The state has great talents and we need to do better to showcase them at the national stage,” Singhania added.
