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Inter-Club Mumbai League for Billiards & Snooker
Report
Malabar Hill Club
supreme again
Pradeep Vijayakar
Mumbai: Last year a string of flukes had helped Malabar Hill Club beat superior opponents Islam Gymkhana for the BSAM's league title. This time skipper Rajeev Sharma was determined to win it convincingly. But his side was involved in a cliff-hanger with hosts Cricket Club of India on their home tables on Wednesday night. A packed Wilson Jones billiards hall at the CCI saw both teams being tied 2-all.
CCI's Nikhil Ootam and Malabar Hill Club skipper Rajeev Sharma were
involved in a battle of wits. Ootam gave Sharma any number of
snookers.Sharma did well to get out of some but when he saw a few
difficult pots he was brave enough to go for them. That allowed him
to clear the last two reds and with a fine long pink take a lead of
20 points. Ootam whittled it down to two with two colours remaining.
At this stage Ootam left the pink on when attempting safety. Sharma
took the offering to clinch the tie and enable his side to retain
the title they had won last year beating Islam Gymkhana. The two
met, this time in the semis and Islam lost tamely.
Manav Panchal played the stellar role for the winners winning both
his snooker ties. CCI's two wins came in the snooker doubles and
billiards where skipper Kekoo Nicholson beat Kunal Gandhi. Said an
elated skipper Sharma: "We had just five
players (Adil Engineer didn't play the finals) and in the league we
used just four and topped our section. We beat Spring Club 3-0,
Bombay Gymkhana 3-1 and Islam Gymkhana 3-1 in the knockout rounds."
The CCI's Badal Mittal was the chief guest. Kekoo Nicholson, the
CCI's billiards secretary,hopes cue sports would come into the
Olympic Games and give India the gold just as Abhinav Bindra had won
at Beijing.''
Malabar Hill Club bt CCI 3-2:
Manav Panchal (plus 45)
beat Nikhil Ootam (25) 94-79; Raajeev Sharma / Aditya Kapoor (48)
lost to Manish Adnani /Karan Dharnidharka (55) 67-110; (Billiards)
Kunal Gandhi (65) lost to Kekoo Nicholson (65) 106-150; Manav
Panchal (35) beat Karan Dharnidharka (50) 104-87; Raaheev Sharma
(45) beat Nikhil Ootam (25) 109-92.
Semifinal 1: CCI A bt Catholic Gymkhana A 3-2:
N.Ootam (25) bt
Melwyn Mascarehas (45) 96-82; Manish A /Karan D (48) bt Alex D'Cruz/Karl
D'Cruz (48) 103-73; Kekoo Nicholson (65) lost to Derek Sippy (65)
107-150; Karan D (50) bt Melwyn M (45) 72-111; N. Ootam (25) bt Karl
D (45) 96-68.
Semifinal 2: Malabar Hill Club bt Islam Gym 3-1: Manav Panchal (35) bt Hasan Badami (25) 94-80; Raajeev/Aditya lost to Sahil Khan/Abdul Rehman (50) 64-110; Vijay Ahuja (66) bt Haji Usman (60) 150-122; Manav Panchal (35) bt Hasan B (25) 89-74.