Matunga Gym best

MUMBAI, SEPT 3: Matunga Gymkhana lifted the Mathurdas Vissanji Challenge Trophy, the symbol of supremacy in Mumbai club billiards, by outclassing Park Club, Shivaji Park, in the final at Islam Gymkhana today. The final, the climax to three months of home and away matches collectively called the Mumbai Billiards league, proved to be a tame affair.

Rajesh Mehta and Naresh Sadrangani got Matunga Gym off to a flying start. Mehta defeated Park8217;s Amit Sapru 200-95, while Sadrangani got the better of Sanjeev Bijlani 200-163. Park8217;s third player V Gehani was left with the unenvious task of reeling off 200 points before opponent Dr B Chandraraj scored 78. In the end, Gehani managed just 75.

The Mumbai Billiards League, conducted by the Billiards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra BSAM, is a biennial affair. Now into its 51st year, the league used to be an annual affair till 1980 when BSAM introduced the snooker league. Now the league for snooker and billiards are held every other year.

Bharat Vissanji,BSAM managing committee member and grandson of the late Mathurdas, revealed that the league began with 31 teams in 1948. Islam Gymkhana, this year8217;s hosts, were the first winners. This year, 42 clubs participated. Unlike pro billiards where century breaks are the norm, the league saw only eight 100 breaks during the current edition. The highest, 185, came from a pro, Nalin Patel.