‘Quality competition in tourney’

He has also represented the state in swimming,and the district in football and cricket.

Mehta is representing the team PYC Giants in the Snooker Challenge tournament being held at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana. As a member of PYC,he is also part of the organising committee of the tournament.

“This tournament has been taking place for the last five years,and is gaining popularity rapidly. This year we had about 56 teams,and are expecting even more next year,” he states.

What made him start an indoor sport like billiards after playing contact sports all his life?

“I used to play pool as a hobby at a pool parlour near home,” he says.

“Later on,in 2001,I joined PYC,which was where I first got introduced to snooker. I started playing,and since then there was no looking back”

He played his first inter-club tournament in 2004,and this is his first tournament after taking a two-year hiatus in order to focus on basketball.

He won his first match on Wednesday with ease,beating Raunak Shinde of Temptation Dazzlers 2-0.

“There is a lot of quality competition in this tournament,” says Mehta.

“Facing off against experienced players like Geet Sethi and Yasin Merchant is always difficult,but the ‘Best of three’ format that the tournament is following makes it easier,as the possibility of an upset increases in such a short game and the underdog has a better chance,” he adds.

Karna is an a product of Loyola High School and the Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce,and is currently working at the FLAME Institute in Lavale.