BANGALORE :If there is any organisation where infrastructure, sincere work and talent have matched to throw up champions, it is the Karnataka State Billiards Association.
From modest beginnings, it has now emerged as the best such body for cue sports in the country with all other state units looking up to the KSBA to show the way.
A set of dedicated office-bearers set the tone way back in 1949 and activity picked up. It peaked for a long time right up to the late 1980s. There was a lull again but the 2000s have been possibly the best and the brightest in its history.
The KSBA was established in 1949. It was then named as the Mysore State Billiards Association. M.Chenniappan, Patron and founder-member donated the first billiards table and his gesture was followed by Prince Basalat Jha.
The KSBA held the National billiards and snooker championships, often held in Calcutta in the past, conducted it in the City for the first time in 1963. Since then, the KSBA has played host to many national and international meets including the World championships.
It celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1974 and the next year, consequent to the state being re-named as Karnataka, its nomenclature also changed and it came to be called as the Karnataka State Billiards Association. The state government allotted the present land measuring 4,083 sq yards to the KSBA the same year.
From having just two billiards tables, two more came in soon. This was increased to eight in 1987 what with the UB Group coming forward to sponsor the McDowell hall. Now the KSBA has 11 billiards tables and four Pool tables. Regular coaching camps are being conducted. There is also a Talent category membership for students below the age of 21 years for talent search. The KSBA’s Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 1999.
KSBA has been in the forefront of promoting cue sports in the country and has produced excellent sports men in the field viz., TA Selvaraj, Arvind Savur, BV Srinivasa Murthy, Duncan Mackenzie, B Bhaskar, Pankaj Advani, Usha Rao, Judith Walia, Farah Khan, R Uma Devi, Chitra Magimairaj and Varsha Sanjeev.
KSBA has the distinction of conducting many International and National Championships and is considered the Mecca of Cue Sports in India. All the preparatory camps for World, Asian Championships and the Asian Games are being conducted at the KSBA’s well-equipped premises. KSBA is the only cue sports Association in the World with its own infrastructure, tables and an air-conditioned billiards hall with a seating capacity of about 500 spectators.
Some of the major International tournaments conducted by us are as follows:
McDowell World Snooker Championship - 1987 (conducted at West End Hotel, Banglaore).
Escorts Yamaha Pro-Am World Billiards Championship 1990.
Gold Flake World Billiards Championship 1990.
Gold Flake International Snooker Masters 1991.
Vikrant - World Under 21 Championship 1991.
Gold Flake World Billiards Championship 1993.
Keladi.com IBSF World Under 21 Snooker Championship 2000.
Om Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance 2nd Asian Billiards Championship 2002.
ONGC IBSF World Billiards Championship 2008.
When the World Under-21 snooker championship was conducted in 1991, Bangaloreans had the opportunity of witnessing the unique talent of the then teen-aged prodigy Ronnie O’Sullivan. The Englishman turned pro the next year and today is the World No 1 professional snooker star earning millions of pounds.
The KSBA has two jewels in its crown - Pankaj Advani among men and Chitra Magimairaj among women. Both have won the World titles apart from other events at the national and international levels. Their exploits have driven many a youngster into the KSBA. And having had a feel of the infrastructure and coaching ocne, they have never turned back.
Recently, the KSBA added another wing to its premises. It has indeed become bigger and better in many respects. Will some others take the cue from the KSBA is the question.
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