City cueist Varun keen to shed title ‘jinx’

“In simple words,I would say that he is a better player. He is India’s no. 1 player and he proved he has what it needs to sit at the position. I might have played superbly during the tournament but I couldn’t handle the nerves at the end,” admits Madaan.

Although the result might not have been in his favour,Madaan views the experience as a stepping stone. Playing nationals and state tournaments before his Lucknow visit,he emphasises that the amount of exposure that he got will only add to his expertise.

“I think there is a big difference in skill while the mettle of a player is known by the way he handles his mental state. Nevertheless,it has been an outing full of learning and preparation for the challenges that lie ahead,” adds Madaan who also played the highest break of 69 points in the championship.

Now that he is aware of his shortcomings,he has no plans to sit back and let things work on their own. With hardly three days gone by since his return from Lucknow,Madaan is already working on his schedule.

Despite being a snooker player,he spends time playing other cue sports such as billiards and pool. He cites a simple reason for this indulgence— better technique and improved table stamina that plays an important role in laying a strong base for snooker. “It is said that whoever is a good billiards player is a better snooker player as well. I play billiards because it helps in bettering the potting skill. Pool has large sized balls and shorter table which hones my table control. But all this aside,the mental factor occupies 40% of the entire training regime. My focus has been on improving my mental fitness and I am undergoing various mental exercises,” he says.

Till sometime back,Madaan developed a habit of cursing himself whenever he found himself struggling with his play. He would stand in a corner and grimace,displaying frustration while concentrating on his opponents game at the same time. Almost after six months he realised the consequences of his actions.

“Thankfully I have succeeded in overcoming this habit. Everybody realised it and informed me about its negativity. I realised it quite later when it started affecting my game. I would continue to think of my past mistakes while playing my next shot. I would say I overcame it with my mental fitness program,” he says with a chuckle acknowledging the fact that many people had advised him for the same.

The runner-up spot at Lucknow is a confidence booster as well as an annoying reminder of an inability to finish games for him. With more tournaments – the pool nationals in Ludhiana,and the 6Red snooker championships,lined up in March Madaan will be keen for a change in fortunes. For him,more than winning a tourney,it will be a contest to settle scores with his jinx.