<p>Sports Minister Ajay Maken has stepped into restore government funding for cue sports, a day after the Sports Authority of India decided to stop supporting it.<br /><br />Sports Authority of India had decided to stop funding on grounds of cue sports not being part of the Olympic Games and Asian Games, delivering a blow to an event that has brought several laurels for the country.<br /><br />Maken posted a message on his twitter page, stating that he had directed the Director General of SAI that funding be retained. <br /><br />“Spoken to DG Sports Authority of India. Directed that funding and support to Billiards & Snooker to be retained. No cut!,” he tweeted.</p>.<p>A delighted Billiards and Snooker Federation of India secretary S Balasubramaniam welcomed the Sport Ministry’s move and said he never expected a solution so early. The decision by the government had put the BSFI in a spot of bother, with the national body relying on the financial backing to send players abroad for tournaments. <br /><br />“We are very happy with the intervention of Maken. Sports like ours need government funding. It is very essential for our growth. We never expected a solution to the problem so early,” Balasubramaniam said.</p>
<p>Sports Minister Ajay Maken has stepped into restore government funding for cue sports, a day after the Sports Authority of India decided to stop supporting it.<br /><br />Sports Authority of India had decided to stop funding on grounds of cue sports not being part of the Olympic Games and Asian Games, delivering a blow to an event that has brought several laurels for the country.<br /><br />Maken posted a message on his twitter page, stating that he had directed the Director General of SAI that funding be retained. <br /><br />“Spoken to DG Sports Authority of India. Directed that funding and support to Billiards & Snooker to be retained. No cut!,” he tweeted.</p>.<p>A delighted Billiards and Snooker Federation of India secretary S Balasubramaniam welcomed the Sport Ministry’s move and said he never expected a solution so early. The decision by the government had put the BSFI in a spot of bother, with the national body relying on the financial backing to send players abroad for tournaments. <br /><br />“We are very happy with the intervention of Maken. Sports like ours need government funding. It is very essential for our growth. We never expected a solution to the problem so early,” Balasubramaniam said.</p>
