Carombole: New order means new workshops

If Rehani is the first Indian to compete in the even at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998, Singh is the person whom the players turn to for the rules of the game. The Indian Express spoke to Amarjeet Singh to know the difference between carombole and billiards. The answer was both simple and complicated.

The simple aspect about it was that both are played with two object and one striker balls. And now for the complicated part. If billiards 8212; the Indians are traditionally good with big breaks 8211; is for those who have a lot of patience, carombole needs far more patience and concentration.

If that is as simple as it can get, there is no need for a camp at all. In fact, unlike billiards 12215;6 ft the carombole table is shorter in dimension 10215;5 ft with no pockets, but only cushions and cannons for scoring. The balls are slightly bigger than those used in billiards.

In billiards, one can survive with in-offs or pocketing the ball, picking points and getting big breaks. But when it comes to carombole, there is no option. Similarly, achieving a big break is like a mirage in a desert.

But if one knows the technique, he can survive by simply scoring points for cannons after hitting the cushion. This is where the problem creeps in. Earlier, in Bangkok it was a three-cushion game where Rehani, playing the game for the first time, led his opponent 21-6. One silly mistake 8212; he missed a cushion 8212; and his opponent took over from there to win it 25-22. That was curtains for Rehani.

But he thinks the current format that will be employed at Macau Indoor Asian Games will be even more difficult. 8220;It8217;s a single cushion game and the Indians are not used to it,8221; he said. Lilly admitted that in 2001 he played the four-cushion event and the change is drastic.

That brings us back to the three-day current workshop where the Billiards and Snooker Association of India BSFI will not only impart lessons on how to go about it during the nationals 8212; the winner makes it to the Macau Game with just one entry allowed 8212; but also run video footages to enlighten the Indian lot.

8220;If our boys achieve breaks of 15 and 25 per visit, the BSFI would be happy to have organised the workshop,8221; said federation VP Ravi K Tandon.

Amrjeet Singh admitted that the rules are very stiff and the matches are played with a maximum of 60 visits or 150 break. In other words, whoever reaches 150 points first or at the end of 60 visits whoever leads becomes the winner.

Tandon also said that this game was included after a pact with some of the Southeast Asian nations before the Bangkok Games as a trade off for including other cue sports in the Games.

8220;They know we 8212; the Indians and Pakistanis 8212; are good in billiards and snooker, hence they wanted pool and carombole as part of the events at the Games.8221;