Tamil Nadu cueists Vidya Pillai and Neena Praveen will be hoping for a good show in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China starting on November 12. Neena is the current 8-ball pool champion and 9-ball pool runner-up. Vidya 33, who recently won the Australian Open women's snooker championship is one of the medal prospects at the continental event.
The others members of the team are Chitra Magimairaj, Anuja Chandra, Indira Gowda and Neeta Sanghvi and Meenal Thakur. The Indian players including the men completed a rigorous camp at the Karnataka State Billiards Association in Bengaluru recently and the team left for China on the small hours of Tuesday.
Renowned pro English snooker coach Derek Hill and Filipino pool coach Jorge Dacer trained the Indian players at the camp. “It was a good experience to train with these coaches, who spent a lot of time in sharpening our skills,” Neena said ahead of the team’s departure.
Neena will play in the 9-ball pool. “I personally prefer 8 ball, but strategically in the Asian Games I have decided to play the 9 ball hoping to win a medal,” Neena added. Vidya hopes to ride on the experience of winning her maiden international tournament “Obviously the competition is going to be tough, but I expect to do well and hopefully can bag a medal for India,” noted Vidya.
Vidya who is the reigning national snooker champion had her best performance prior to her triumph in Australia coming at Britain in 2009 where she made the last four at the World Billiards. Vidya also won the national 9-ball pool in Mumbai in 2005.