Ahmedabad, Oct 7 (IANS): The second edition of the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships officially commenced as 144 of the Commonwealth’s finest cue sports players are set to battle for honours at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex.
The event will get underway with the opening ceremony on Wednesday, followed by matches from October 8-10.
The Championships will see 72 men and 72 women compete across English Billiards, Snooker, 10-Ball Pool, Heyball and Blackball, with players representing approximately 42 Commonwealth nations.
Organised by Apex Sports Promotion and hosted by the Billiards & Snooker Federation of India (BSFI), under the endorsement of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS) and Commonwealth Sport, the four-day competition will feature 10 medal events and marks the first time the prestigious multi-discipline Championships are being staged in India.
India heads into the Championships with confidence after winning five medals at the inaugural edition in Mauritius in 2025. Defending Commonwealth Women’s Heyball champion Vidya Pillai, Men’s Heyball silver medallist Shivam Arora and Women’s 10-Ball Pool silver medallist Chitra Magimairaj headline the Indian challenge, with all three looking to add to their medal tally on home soil.
The Indian contingent will face a formidable international field featuring defending champions and world-class performers, including England’s Kelly Fisher, South Africa’s Craig Bouwer, Malaysia’s Lim Kok Leong, England’s Rebecca Kenna and Wales’ Darren Morgan.
Speaking at the launch press conferences, Mubarak Al-Khayarin, Vice President, WCBS said, “Bringing leading cue sports athletes from across the Commonwealth together provides a valuable platform for high-level competition and further strengthens the connections that unite our sport globally. We look forward to an exciting Championships and to seeing the athletes compete at their very best in Ahmedabad.”
Grieta Steenkamp, Board Member, WCBS added, “We are delighted to welcome the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships to India and to support an event that brings together players from across the Commonwealth. Championships such as these play an important role in creating opportunities for athletes, strengthening international sporting relationships and continuing to grow the global reach of cue sports.”
The stage is set for four days of high-quality cue sports action, with established champions, emerging talent and India’s leading players all vying for Commonwealth glory in Ahmedabad.
The pre-event press conference was attended by Mubarak Al-Khayarin, Vice President, World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS); Grieta Steenkamp, Board Member, WCBS; James Leacy, Anti-Doping Director, WCBS; S Balasubramaniam, President, Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI); Sunil Bajaj, Secretary, BSFI; Abhishek Shah, President, Gujarat Snooker and Billiard Association and Shivam Arora, CEO & Founder, Apex Sports and India cue sports player, among others dignitaries from cue sports fraternity who graced the occasion.
