Rupesh searches for world champion form

Haria,like 39-year-old Shah,is from Gujarat,but is far less experienced. Shah feels the need to mentor his junior colleague. “I take it as my duty to guide youngsters like Haria who have the potential to play at a higher level. He was too aggressive today and wasn’t keeping his calm. Also while he was a child,his father came to me for guidance whether he should introduce his child to billiards. I taught him how to hold the cue and kick-started his career,” he says.

In the recently concluded Nationals,Shah finished in the top three while fellow cueist and Asian champion Alok Kumar clinched the top spot. The Asian Championships at Indore permit India to field six entries as the host nation.

Alok Kumar is the only cueist who has made it to the final six,with the remaining seven players having to fight hard to see their names in the list. Shah looked in no mood to take things lightly. He won his first match comprehensively against B Bhaskar in straight games and dropped one game in the second. “You see this is a fast paced format where you need to score 100 points in each game. A small error can cost you a game. So I am being extra cautious and trying hard to play a fault-free game. Focus is key here because reaching a score of 100 is very easy for us,since we also play games of 400-500 points but at the same time,it doesn’t take time for the opponent to run you over. The competition is really tough which helps in better preparation for the championships,” says Shah.

As the juniors play on the adjacent tables,Shah receives constant applause. “See,he is the World Champion,” mumbles one of the junior trainees at the Mega Pool Academy. Asked if he feels motivated to hear praise like that,Shah explains: “I remember while in school,my brother used to play snooker and billiards. I used to go swimming,played badminton,table tennis and all other games. One day I went to my brother who was playing billiards and I asked him if he could teach me this game. At first he refused but then he accepted my request. From that day I have worked really hard to be here. When I hear such comments,I take them normally and don’t let my focus shift because you don’t know when you might slip.”