If it was Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins for Northern Ireland, it was ‘Tornado Fats’ Arvind Savur for India. Despite his bulk and height, Arvind had amazing speed and has the credit of coming up with a new style of playing snooker to the delight of cue sports players and followers, alike.
But what Arvind, 73, did and has been doing, no player, big or small, has or even can do for the sport.
Arvind’s huge house in Malleswaram is equipped with a billiards hall where he offers free coaching to any aspiring youngster who has the inclination to learn the basics or the finer points of the sport from him. Not just that, Arvind has reserved rooms where he provides free accommodation and hospitality specially to outstation players or trainees who come to Bangalore to compete or to be coached.
‘‘For locals, I am always available 24x7. Those from outside come rarely and so I have this facility for them,’’ said Arvind.
Much before Pankaj Advani arrived on the scene, Arvind had produced champions by the dozens. Pankaj came under his tutelage and went on to bag world titles as if by habit. Fittingly, Arvind was bestowed with the Dronacharya Award in 2004. He was also the Chief Coach during 13th Asian Games in Bangkok 1998 when India won two gold, one silver and three bronze medals, the best-ever show to date.
Reigning supreme
The Arjuna Award had come way back in 1979-80 when he reigned supreme in the country winning the national billiards titles in 1967 and 1979, and the national snooker title in 1976 and 1978. Arvind also had a short stint on the pro circuit and took part in major tournaments. He pocketed top players like Dennis Taylor, Willie Thorne, Pat Faygan, Pascal Burke and Paul Mifsud, and was the first Indian to enter the semi-final of the World Snooker Championships in 1972 and, again, in 1980.
Arvind had lightning reflexes and was a very shrewd thinker. He combined patience and aggression to a nicety and that enabled him to compile big breaks, time and again.
Always very straight forward and outspoken, Arvind never minced words when he had to criticise the officialdom for their wrong doings. ‘‘I had to fight for Pankaj getting the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2005 as a government observer and nominee on the panel,’’ said Arvind.
Apart from the Dronacharya and Arjuna Awards, Arvind is also recipient of the Rajyotsava Award, Eklavya Award and the Alpic Om Agarwal Lifetime Achievement Award. Yet, all this happened as if by accident.
Arvind was a good table tennis player. But a thyroid problem saw him put on weight. Unable to retrieve the ball often from under the chairs, Arvind traded the cue sports table for the table tennis one and the rest, as they say, is history.
Hooked to cueing
‘‘I played table tennis at the YMCA. In those days, freshers and non-freshers had to wait for their turn as they had only three tables. There was a billiards table also and we had to pay two ‘annas’ to play for an hour. So if I was free, I paid up and played billiards. That’s how I got hooked to the sport, and, as I said, my weight problem made sure that I gave up table tennis for billiards,’’ said Arvind.
‘‘I joined Western Railways, Bombay, on a sports quota job. After my national title in 1976, I got 25 increments and soon reached saturation point in my job. Also, my mother was ill and I had to come to Bangalore. I had used up all the leave I had but I could not go back. So I quit, and joined ITI as a Public Relations Officer in 1976 and was with them for 24 years,’’ said Arvind.
‘‘I wanted to play golf after retirement but that never happened. I was interested in coin collection and philately, and I still love music. But my sun rises and sets with billiards and snooker. My daughter Lina was keen initially, but lost interest thereafter. My uncle Yeshwant Rao Savur was a good tennis player and played alongside Mohammed Ghouse,’’ said Arvind. ‘‘I think, right now, the sport has not been getting enough support from the government or sponsors. Those in power are also not making much efforts in that direction. A lot surely needs to be done for cue sports in the country,’’ signed off Arvind.
shreekumar@newindianexpress.com