For the Love of the Game
Despite match-fixing allegations putting his career in the balance,Stephen Lee still manages to find solace and glory in the game he loves,writes Shahid Judge.
The RKG-Khar Gymkhana Snooker Masters 2013 started on May 12 with heavy expectations for a local player to win. By the term ‘local player,’ one would assume it refers to a player from the Khar Gymkhana or from Mumbai. But in this case,the term represented an Indian participant since there were three illustrious players from the United Kingdom who took part in the event,all of whom are well ranked in the world standings. Yet out of all these individuals,there was one that stood out. Not because he is ranked 21st in the world,not because he was the highest ranked player in this tournament,not because he was one of the foreign players participating,and not because he won the tournament. Stephen Lee stands out because Snooker’s governing body,World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) has banned him from ranking tournaments due to several match-fixing allegations.
Like most athletes in the sport,Stephen Lee began playing snooker at an early age. He mentions that he was first introduced to the game when he was given a five foot-long snooker table for Christmas. A few years later,when he was nine,he played on a full sized table,and his love for the game grew henceforth. Inspired by the likes of Steve Davis,Jimmy White,and Dennis Taylor,Lee took up the sport as a career and turned professional in 1992. Little did he know that he would experience what may be the toughest period in his life two decades after turning professional.
The unfortunate turn of events started after a Premiere League game against John Higgins in October,2012. Lee had just returned from a bad patch into a good run of form. But his 4-2 loss against Higgins,aided by a catalyst in the form of suspicious betting patterns,led snooker’s governing body to slap match-fixing allegations against Lee,resulting in his suspension.
Over the suspension period,Lee has kept himself busy by participating in exhibition matches and tournaments,such as the just-concluded one at the Khar Gymkhana,to ensure he remains match-sharp. And while the suspension has not been able to break his mental toughness or his love for the game,he has admitted that this has been a trying time for him and his family. “It’s been a tough period,” he said. “Living becomes difficult when you have a family to support and have only three to six tournaments you’re allowed to participate in.” When asked if it is hard for him to focus before a match with the allegations constantly nagging him,Lee simply said,“not really. I have done nothing wrong,so there is nothing for me to worry about.” He also added that if the WPBSA had anything significant against him,they would have caught him immediately after the Higgins game. Instead,he has only been suspended from ranking events since October,2012,and the delay has cost him “an extra arm and leg.”
Despite the tension and stress outside the snooker room,Lee won the Mumbai based tournament in an intense final against Pankaj Advani. Having played in India before,when he won the CCI International in 2011,Lee has admitted a fondness for playing in India. “The hospitality is top class. And when Yasin Merchant invited me to come here again for this tournament,I jumped at the chance straight away.” He further praised the tournament’s organisers and said that the tournament will help shape up the game in India through the awareness it creates. “Aditya Mehta and Pankaj Advani are great ambassadors for the game here,and they have helped put India on the map as far as snooker is concerned. It’s about time more players come through. But I am disappointed that snooker isn’t televised here. After all,awareness is everything. What will be good is if there is an academy here with quality equipment for everyone to practice with.” When asked if it was difficult to play against Advani on his home turf,Lee said that there was no doubt the crowd wanted Advani to win. He continued: “It was nice to give the crowd a good tense final.”
Lee is planning a holiday with his family as soon as he gets back,and is hopeful that the hearing for his case will happen soon after that. “I want to get my ranking position back. I worked hard to get into the Top 8,now I just can’t wait to get back.” His win in Mumbai will definitely work to boost his morale and prove a point to his critics. Despite a career that has been thrown off balance by undecided allegations,Stephen Lee continues to play the game he loves and win.
mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com
Crowd support backfires
n When one gets to the final of a tournament,any added source of pressure can turn the tables in a match. Such was the case for Pankaj Advani,runner-up at the inaugural RKG-Khar Gymkhana Snooker Masters last Saturday. Blessed with the backing of the home crowd,what should have been an advantage proved to be extra pressure for Advani.
The crowd were behind Advani with constant calls of “Come on Pankaj!” or “you’re playing well,” throughout the match. Advani later admitted that the support did add on some pressure at times. “In this game you need absolute silence at times and when it is silent,it becomes easier for the player to perform,” he said. “I guess it comes with the package of being one of the best players in the country,and obviously the crowd wants to support you and wish the best for you. One must understand that the intent is always good.”
Advani’s opponent in the final,Stephen Lee mentioned that there was no doubt the crowd wanted him to win. “Advani’s a cracking player,and with time he’ll get around it,” he said. Seated in the crowd,two-time Asian Champion Yasin Merchant recognised Advani’s strife and shouted “steady” on several occasions in an attempt to calm the struggling finalist.
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