Himanshu set the tone right

02 April 2012

Talented Indian youngster Himanshu Jain set the tone of the proceedings on day one of the 13^th ONGC Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship here at the Clube Tennis De Gaspar Dias, Miramar, Goa. In the process of giving a superb potting performance, while inflicting a 4 frames to 1 victory over Man Ming Wa (Hong Kong). Himanshu was at his best in the second frame of the five frames affair chalking up breaks of 56 and 42 on way to his one sided victory. Man Ming Wa managed to pull one back when winning the third frame on the run of the play, but that was as far as he could go. Himanshu quickly wrapped up the fourth and fifth frames to take the match.

Second seeded and current runner-up in the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker championship held last, Noppon Saengkham (Thailand) had an easy outing against M.L. Laxman of India. Noppon won by 4 frames to 1. M.L. Laxman in an identical fashion to the first match, was able to bridge the gap from 0-2 to 1-2 when he managed to wrest the third frame, but missing out on some ‘sitter’ positions, he let go the chance and the rest was pretty simple for Noppon as he ran away to victory.

Mohammad Majid Ali (Pakistan) recorded a creditable 4-1 win over Akani Songsermsawad (Thailand) in a match which saw the Thai player strangely out of sorts.

Coming over to the 11^th ONGC Asian Billiards Championship 2012, defending champion Alok Kumar of India seemed to be in early trouble against the Sri Lankan player A. Jayarathne, when in the scrappy first game, the Lankan appeared to have the edge. However, Jayarathne fumbled on a vital moment, to let go the golden opportunity  even as Alok came back to clinch the crucial first game.

Following on, in the second two, the Lankan player had a good chance to make an impression but again he was found wanting when it mattered most missing some easy openings.

With two games under his belt, Alok showed why he is such a dangerous opponent. Striking the balls to a nicety, Alok was simply unstoppable as he quickly wrapped up the third and fourth games for 4-0 clean sweep.

While Alok was clinching his fixture, on the other table his compatriot, Arun Agrawal who is staging a come back, into the international circuit after a good number of years, was involved in a titanic struggle with the strong challenger from Thailand, Thanawat Sujaritthurakarn.  The Thai was the first to gain advantage as he won the first game but Arun, using his skills and experience, rallied brilliantly to win the next two games and took a 2-1 lead in the best of 7 contest.

It was here that the Thai player proved why he is such a feared opponent, when in form, having the last laugh by pocketing the fifth and sixth games to seal the fate of Arun.

Nevertheless, former World Billiards Champion, Peter Gilchrist, the Englishman who is presently based in Singapore set the especially erected beautiful arena at the Clube Tennis De Gaspar Dias billiards hall alight as he uncorked champagne billiards to rout a hapless SMH Aslam of Sri Lanka in a match in the evening, a match where the present lovers of the sport were treated to a virtual spectacle by the tall, articulate and skillful cueist, Peter. Be it the top of the table play executed with clinical ability, the three quarter ball contact in-off’s, or the immaculate potting ability of this elegant cueist, it was just a sheer delightful display of artistry which had a silken touch. The hapless, Sri Lankan could only admire the authority of his rival as he completed four games to NIL whitewash. The follow through in the top pocket towards the finishing stages in the fourth game was just poetry in motion in the process of completing the rout.