The Karnataka State Billiards Association kept up its culture of honouring its medal-winning cueists, felicitating nine of them on the sidelines of an inauguration function here on Wednesday.
Pankaj Advani, the ace performer for the State and country, was the biggest winner of the day, taking home Rs 3.15 lakh for winning three golds (2015 IBSF World Snooker, 2016 Asian 6-red Snooker, 2014 World Billiards team), one silver (2016 Asian Team Snooker) and one bronze (2016 World Billiards team).
Seasoned campaigner Vidya Pillai and 19-year-old prodigy Varsha Sanjeev shone amongst the women. Vidya, who moved base to Bengaluru around five years ago, was awarded Rs 2.15 lakh for triumphing in this year’s National Snooker Championship and winning three silvers (World 6-red Snooker, World Team Snooker & National 6-red Snooker, all 2016).
Varsha pocketed Rs 1,62,500 for clinching this year’s National junior billiards and capturing a silver at the National junior snooker meet. Varsha also won a bronze at World Snooker Team, IBSF World U-21 Snooker and National Snooker meet.
B Bhaskar (Rs 1.15 lakh), Chitra Magimairaj (Rs 25,000), R Umadevi (Rs 25,000), Judy Walia (Rs 25,000), ML Lakshman (Rs 20,000) and Sheikh Najeeb Ahmed (Rs 10,000) were the other award winners.
KSBA, meanwhile, unveiled its renovated facility that houses a badminton hall, a gym and a party hall. KSBA also named the billiards hall after its founder and patron M Cheniappan.
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