Buy good, buy old

MUMBAI, July 8: It is the biggest market for tournament carrom boards the Kshatriya Union Club-conducted district championships and their...

MUMBAI, July 8: It is the biggest market for tournament carrom boards the Kshatriya Union Club-conducted district championships and their open tournament at the Vanamali Hall, Dadar.

The tournament attracts large numbers — about 800 entries and close to 20 buyers for the tournament carrom boards. Why tournament carrom boards ? Because it makes more sense to buy those than a brand new board.

Sanjay Gharat, the tournament organiser of Khatriya Open, says tournament boards is like buying a tested equipment. “You know whether it has any defects. But the main advantage you have is you can get a choice of boards. There are close 20-25 boards on display and an interested buyer gets the board he wants.”

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Buying a carrom board from a sports store or from the factory has its perils, according to Gharat.

“If you go to a store, you are shown five to six boards. You have to choose one by looking at it. How can you buy one by simply looking at the board?” he says. “In the store, you are not allowed to playshots on the board or even touch it. You will never realise whether you are buying a good board or a defective one,” he explained.

Ashok Bhave, the secretary of the state carrom association, also feels it is better to buy a tournament board.

“Playing on a board for a couple of days removes the varnish from the top layer, making the coins move better,” he explains. “Also, there is a choice of close to 25 boards on display from which you can buy yours,” he says.