IBSF World Billiards 2007 ...

 

Rupesh is new World Billiards Champ for Point Format

India's Rupesh Shah was the new named added to India's list of world champions in cue sports today. Shah was crowned world champion when he beat Ashok Shandilya by six frames to four in the final of the IBSF World Billiards Championship Points (150-up) format  at the Orchid Country Club here in Singapore.

 

It was a battle between two Railways stars. Shah of Western was leading Central's sports officer Ashok 5-1. Shandilya crept back 4-5.  In the  tenth , Rupesh hit 56, Shandilya replied with 95 only to see Rupesh hit 61 to finish. "He was very consistent," said Devendra Joshi a contemporary from Singapore where he will play in the next event, the time format world event.

 

India's Pankaj Advani was defending champ in both the points and time formats. Pankaj lost in the round of 16 to Myanmar's Kyaw Oo who Rupesh blanked 5-0 in the semis. Shandilya beat Aussie Mathew Bolton 5-1 in the other semi-final.

 

Rupesh, 34, had come to the fore winning the junior and senior National billiards titles 15 years ago. He hails from Gujarat which gave cue sports giants like Satish Mohan and Geet Sethi.

 

Ashok Shandilya and Rupesh Shah were the only two Indians left at the semi-final stage. Ashok, who topped his group, beat Geet Sethi 4-1 in the quarter-final. Rupesh got past Thailand's C Praprut 4-2. Title holder Pankaj Advani lost in the pre-quarter-finals to Myanmar's Kyaw Oo who beat home favourite Peter Gilchrist in the next round.

 

Dhruv Sitwala was the only Indian not to qualify from the group. Shandilya beat the dangerous Aung Sang Oo of Myanmar who has won Asian titles at the cost of the Indians.

 

 

Singapore :: 8th September 2007

 

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