Govt funds for cue sports restored

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.

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.

Maken posted a message on his twitter page, stating that he had directed the Director General of SAI that funding be retained.

“Spoken to DG Sports Authority of India. Directed that funding and support to Billiards & Snooker to be retained. No cut!,” he tweeted.

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.

“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.