Glittering medal from a massive talent pool

In a career spanning nearly two-decades that is dotted with many successes, Alok Kumar would perhaps have never felt so emotional despite finishing third best.

What drove the 42-year-old to tears, apart from the enormity of the achievement, was his close friend Yasin Merchant’s speech that struck a deep chord not just with him but everyone who had gathered at a felicitation function organised by Billiards and Snooker Federation of India this week.

“I congratulate Pankaj (Advani) for retaining his (Asian Games) billiards title. I take nothing away from Pankaj’s exceptional performance but according to me Alok’s (8-ball pool) bronze is equally brilliant. I would even say it is even bigger, if not path-breaking,” said Merchant to a thunderous applause.

While fellow medal-winning cueists continued to heap more praise on Alok, the man himself decided to play it down. “Honestly, I am completely surprised with my show,” said the affable Punjabi. “Before we (cue sports squad) departed for China, hopes of medals rested only in billiards and snooker. With the likes of Effren Reyes and a clutch of other world champions participating, there was hardly any hope. I am extremely happy to have won bronze. The feeling is yet to sink in. In fact Geet Sethi also told me that he has never seen me play pool so well.”

Home to some of the finest billiards and snooker players, India has constantly churned out champion players in the two disciplines. From Wilson Jones to Michael Ferreira and from Geet Sethi to Advani, cueists of calibre have enthralled audiences with their sheer artistry. While their achievements have always kept the profile of billiards high, pool has remained in the shadows.

An all-rounder who plays all formats of the game with panache, Alok’s qualification from pool for the Asian Games did involve some bold decisions. After making the cut to Guangzhou, Alok decided to keep snooker and billiards in the deep freezer for a while, channeling his focus only to pool that saw him give the World Professional Billiards Championship a miss. For nearly a month, he went through the paces under the watchful eyes of super coach Jorge C Dazer, trying to learn every possible trick.
“Snooker-billiards and pool are entirely different,” said Alok, who has five billiards, four snooker and one 9-ball pool national titles in his name.

“It is like tennis and squash. Cue action, tables, strategies, feel of the ball etc are all different. One needs to make a lot of adjustments. You can somehow do it on the national scene and escape, but internationally it is impossible.

“That’s why I decided to stop playing snooker and billiards for a while, at least until the Asian Games. I had to skip a few tournaments and that is the reason why this medal means so much for me. Tomorrow, if pool turns out to become famous and produces a champion, I can proudly say I too have a small part in it. Of course, Dazer has a part in it too. I just hope this medal does something for the growth of pool,” said Alok.

Bronze apart, the highlight of Alok’s performance at Guangzhou was his round-of-32 victory over Reyes, a living legend and considered one of the all-time greats in 8-ball, 9-ball and one-pocket. With the odds stacked completely against him, the ONGC employee conjured a memorable performance to down ‘The Magician’ 7-3. He then went on to defeat Poh Soon Lee and Ricky Yang before going down to Po Cheng Kuo in a hard-fought semifinal clash.

Despite the success, Alok, who is also a 2004 Asian Snooker champion, is not too keen to commit himself completely to pool. “There are not many pool tournaments in India because of which there aren’t many players. We need to host international tournaments, invite foreign players regularly. Without much competition locally, it is difficult to compete abroad.”

For long, BSFI has been waiting for a chance to expand pool. Alok’s bronze could indeed be the catalyst in that direction.