He may not have the big weapons – not at least now – like his predecessors, but Karnataka snooker champion Sajan Bopanna is on par or even better than some of his illustrious fellow champions as far as temperament and self belief are concerned.
In a sport like snooker, those are weapons by itself. Any skilful player, minus those virtues, will certainly vouch for it. In fact, those were the foundations upon which the 27-year-old shaped his State-ranking snooker triumph last week. It may have come as a surprise for many, but Bopanna knew it was coming. "I did expect it. In fact, I was after it this time," the affable Bopanna said matter-of-factly.
Having taken the game seriously only in the last couple of years, Bopanna has been making giant strides. In a field which had two proven performers and a couple of aspiring ones, Bopanna was certainly not the favourite for the title. But as the State bash got under way, the 27-year-old began to emerge as a serious contender, though two-time National champion B V Srinivasa Murthy was in the fray.
With each passing match, Bopanna grew in confidence and brushed aside his opponents without breaking sweat in the knockout first leg. He accounted for BVS himself in the final. To prove that victory was not a flash in the pan, the Coorgi had BVS' number again in the second leg.
That 5-2 victory in the Super League made the connoisseurs sit up and take notice of this bundle of talent. But an off day saw him crash to two defeats and suddenly the title seemed to be slipping away. When he was down 0-3 in the best-of-nine-frame final league clash against Sohail Jairaj, it looked curtains for the 27-year-old.
But Bopanna didn't give up hope. He clawed his way back to post a 5-3 win to clinch his maiden title. "He is a very talented player," said Dronacharya awardee Arvind Savur. "I'm surprised he didn't make it big earlier," he added.
Having taken Bopanna under his wings, Savur's first lessons for the youngster turned out to be on patience. With his other illustrious ward, Pankaj Advani, ironing out the rough edges at the coach's place for major tournaments, Bopanna's early days were spent watching Advani at work most times.
"Pankaj was a major inspiration," Bopanna admitted. "He is a mammoth, a king in the sport. I learnt a lot by just watching him."
Savur's first job on the table was to harness Bopanna’s power. "He was a hard hitter and I taught him about playing with a soft touch," Savur noted. "He is an excellent potter, has a good eye and more importantly a cool head. Bopanna has got the potential to win something big. I wouldn't be surprised if he does well at the Nationals," he added.
Bopanna himself was confident of a good show at the Hyderabad Nationals beginning next month. "I'm sure I can make a mark," he said. But for that to happen, managing time is going to be the key. Chief of the enterprise called Voice For India, Bopanna may have won the State-ranking title with little or no practice at all, but Nationals is a different ball game altogether. Bopanna is aware of that and is keen to surprise a few more with his performance in Hyderabad.
