Neena Praveen had only recently returned to playing cue sports after a hiatus of five years. She wasnt willing to cite any reason as to why she left the scene,but on Monday,after ending defending champion Meenal Thakurs run in the 8-ball National pool championship,she remains on course to realise her dream. Praveen beat top seed Thakur 4-3 to enter the final,even though she was trailing 2-1 at one point of time in the match. She will take on Tamil Nadus Vidya Pillai who beat Suniti Damani of West Bengal 4-2. I wasnt nervous when I was trailing 2-1 initially. I knew that if I get a chance,I will clear the rack. Confidence played a major role in defeating Meenal, said Praveen. Praveen,who made it to the last 16 in the World Pool Championships that was held in Hyderabad,that both she and her team mates have to work that much harder on their skills if they are to beat the South Asian countries,who are the leader in the sport. According to her,they arent lacking in ability and planning,but are found wanting on application of plans. And having a foreign coach,will be of immense help to both her and her team mates. Currently coached by Salim,Praveen is now looking forward to hone her skills under George Decer,who will join the Indian camp in May and July. I need to improve a lot. To match the international standards,it is important to grasp finer skills of the game. I am confident that George will make us work on our skills which will help us to be at par with other countries, she added. Meanwhile,she cites lack of sponsors is a major drawback,especially for women cueists. We have good talent but even the best players are deprived of sponsors. Many give up because they cannot afford to spend money going abroad to participate.
