New challenges ahead for Rehani

You have been associated with the game for a long time as a player and now you have been a national coach for pool as well as billiards. But it will be your first assignment as snooker coach of the national team that will participate in the Asian 6-red snooker championship at Thailand. How has the whole journey been?

I have been coaching the national team for the last four years and during this stint,I guess I have been able to give direction to the careers of several cue players of the country who have won medals at various international and national events. Recently,Laxman Rawat who also trains under me defeated snooker great Jimmy White at Mumbai and such results have been very encouraging for me. I think the Billiard and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) saw some potential in me as a coach and has given me more chances now. Hopefully my hard work will continue to give good results.

Manoj Kothari has been the chief coach of the BSFI and has trained almost every Indian player. So how will it be like stepping into his shoes?

Manoj and I have been contemporaries in cue sports. He was a fantastic billiards player himself and has won many titles. I have played along with him for 10 years from 1996 to 2005. We know each other very well and understand each other’s coaching styles. As far as taking the mantle from him is concerned I think it won’t be very difficult for me,I am prepared to help the team in Thailand. Despite being a good player,I feel that my career lacked the sheen of a title and due to that I have missed out on a lot of things. But I feel now my time has come and I am sure it will be a great experience.

India has shown its mettle several times on the snooker table. Despite that do you think the Asian Snooker Championships will pose a challenge to the team?

Obviously yes. It is first time that 6-red is being organised at the Asian level. We have world-class players like Pankaj Advani but unfortunately he is not going for the championship. He needs rest after a busy schedule. So players like Kamal Chawla and Brijesh Dhamani will take up the challenge and I am positive that we will return with a medal.

Since you will be observing these players on this tour and we know that these players have been training under different coaches,so will it be a problem for them to adjust to a different style?

It is not exactly technical guidance that I am traveling with them for. As a team coach my duty is more to be a good motivator and morale booster and help them with mental preparation. I have to take care of their set styles and be careful that their is no disturbance in their rhythm during the tournament. At the end of each play,my job will be to prepare them for the next match and guide them about the minor flaws that crop up at the time of match.

Which teams are likely to give India a tough competition and what will be your approach for them?

The draws are not out yet. But definitely teams like China who is currently ranked number one and Thailand which has experienced players can be tough opponents. Although India has done well in the past but the approach will depend on every match we play. You have to strategise according to the opponents. Positive approach will hold a major key.

What do the Indian cue sports players need to improve upon?

Basics or the discipline knowledge are very important. Thanks to the foreign coach Daryll who fine tuned us on minute things which were very important in the game,players have shown great improvement. Indians used to overlook certain details in snooker due to their adjustment on the Indian tables but he improved us on those points and we are working on them now. I would say that the players are fast learners and have started applying in their games.