The Billiards & Snooker Association of Maharashtra (BSAM) felicitated all the Maharashtra cueists who won medals at the National Billiards and Snooker Championship 2021 in Bhopal last December and also BSFI & BSAM’s inspirational President Rajan Khinvasara, at a function at the Garware Club House on Wednesday evening.
Maharashtra cueists who won medal at the National billiards & snooker championships 2021 pose with Chief Guest & MP Priyanka Chaturvedi (centre) & BSFI & BSAM President, Rahan Khinvasara (2nd left).
Gracing the occasion was Chief Guest Priyanka Chaturvedi, a Rajya Sabha MP, who presented the awards to the medal winners and Khinvasara. Former two-time Asian and multiple-time National snooker champion Yasin Merchant was also feted for his immense contribution to cue sports.
The following players were felicitated, Sumerh Mago, Gold (sub-junior boys billiards); Shayan Razmi, Silver (sub-junior boys billiards) and Bronze (sub-junior boys snooker); Rayaan Razmi, Gold (junior boys billiards) and Gold (junior boys snooker); Kreishh Gurbaxani, Bronze (junior snooker) and Silver (junior billiards); Arantxa Sanchis, Bronze (senior women billiards); Dhruv Sitwala, Silver (senior men billiards); Ishpreet Singh Chaddha, Gold (senior men snooker). Arantxa did not attend the function.
Chaturvedi felt proud and honoured to be present at the function. “Today happens to be an auspicious day, it’s Gurupurnima. What would we all be without our gurus, so I would like to congratulate all the gurus sitting out here, first. Many congratulations to the gurus first and every single awardees who have won, because it’s a tribute to do the hard work and the effort you have put in to reach where you are,” she said.
“It’s a pleasure speaking to the achievers who have gone out of their way and are making Maharashtra so proud. You are giving Maharashtra reasons to cheer, of course we politicians are not giving you that. I know nothing about billiards and I know nothing about snooker and I have no reason to claim that I do, because I don’t, because politicians don’t know everything. I definitely don’t know billiards and snooker, but I do know one thing why I have to be here. It’s because you have all made Maharashtra very proud,” she further stated.
Having lavished praise on the winners, she offered some encouragement. “We must have faith in our own self, we must keep our faith alive, we must ensure that we only keep moving forward and thinking higher and reaching goals that we thought were unachievable. Making things possible which we thought were impossible. You all have managed to contribute. You all have already achieved that stage and you’ll have already made the state very proud of you. All I can say from here is that you’ll only go higher up and keep on making all of us proud of you.”
Khinvasara was overwhelmed on being felicitated. “I am indebted to all for the trust that you have bestowed on me. I thank all the family members who are here in front of me and the whole country. It’s not only the state association which has given me this felicitation, but it has come from the whole country. Bestowing this honour on me gives me more and more horsepower. Only because of your confidence and support that I am able to do and achieve laurels for this game,” stated Khinvasara.
“I was telling Chaturvedi that this sports which has bagged maximum gold medal for the country. Very few people know that its more than 50 and half a dozen gold medals are on the way from these youngsters sitting here. Looking at these youngsters I feel so elevated so kind of charged up and whatever you boys will demand I will give what you’ll want. But, ensure that you put your head down and play very well. You have already been doing that, and what is lacking and or what is left to be done we will give you. Yasinbhai is there, I am there, the whole country, all the associations, and BSFI is also with you,” he added.
“Accept the challenge from the front and I see that you are going to compete on the pro circuit. I definitely see that you have all the credentials to achieve that kind of level of sports, I want 147 continuosly from you guys and for every 147 you get I will give you a prize, please give me a call,” the BSFI President promised the youngsters.