Keen struggle for supremacy likely
The stage is completely set for the World Amateur Billiards championship which will be inaugurated at the Great eastern Hotel this evening (Thursday) at 5 p.m. by Maharajadhiraja of Burdwan. President of Billiards association and control council of India.
This is the second time the world Billiards championship is being held in India and previously, in 1952, too, the tournament was held in Calcutta
For more then three weeks – that is from today Nov 20 to Dec 13 – with three Sundays being off days – the Calcutta fans will be treated to a festival of class billiards and as the demand for tickets shows, the city is agog with enthusiasm.
The struggle for supremacy is likely to be limited to four great stars viz. Tom Cleary of Australia , the reigning world champion , Leslie Driffield of England – the 1952 champion and yet unbeaten in a world contest- and Wilson Jones and Chandra Hirjee of India.
Hirjee had finished a better second on the 1952 championship ladder –he and Bob Marshall having both lost two matches each.
Malta represented by their champion Wilfred Axiak will be making her first appearance in the world championship while Burma represented by her National Championship Mr. Maung Hman will be playing in the championship for the second time . Both the players—quite unassuming sportsmen as they are – told the total representative of ‘Hindusthan Standard’ modestly that they had come here to learn from the masters of billiards . Yet , they are both fine cueists and are expected to render a good account of themselves .
It is interesting to note that it was India who paved the way for the first world championship at London in 1951 . Prior to this the British Empire Amateur Championship (1926-1939) because of the principal billiards playing countries – England , Australia , Scotland , South Africa , Northern Ireland , Wales , New Zealand , Eire and India forming part of the British Dominions – enjoyed the status of a world championship . There was no championship from 1939 to 1950 due to the War .
In 1951 , at a meeting of the Billiards Association and Control Council of Great Britain , the controlling body for world billiards and Snooker , India , represented by Mr. M. M. Begg proposed that the name of British . Empire Amateur Billiards Championship should be dropped and that in future the billiards championships should be conducted on a world level inviting all other countries of the world to participate in the same .
Australia represented by Mr. Oswald Sealy , endorsed India’s proposal which was accepted by all . Some members of the British Billiards Council tried to change the name to ‘Commonwealth Championship’ but on India’s refusal to be a party of it , it was dropped .
It will be good news to all that now India’s proposal of starting the first snooker championship of the world has also been accepted by the World Council . India , being the sponsor of the idea , is fighting for her right to stage the first World Snooker Championship in her own country for which final decision has not yet been taken . It may be recalled that India waived her right to stage the first World Billiards Championship , on the request of late Mr. John C. Bisset , Chairman of the Control Council (G.B.) , just to enable Great Britain to hold the same in her festival year , 1951 .
PAST PERFORMANCES
India sent her first representative , P. K. Deb to a World Billiards contest in 1935 at London. M.M. Begg represented India in 1938 at Melbourne, Australia. Wilson Jones went to London in 1951 and to Sydney in 1954. C. Hirjee and Jones represented India , the host country, in 1952 at Calcutta.
Of the old horses, P.K. Deb – though his failed win a match for India on her first attempt in 1935 – made the second highest break in the championship, 236 . The champion H.F.E. Coles made a break of 267, the highest in that championship. M. M. Begg who finished fourth in the league of seven was the first Indian to record India’s first win in an international contest when he beat Arthur Albertson of New Zealand at Melbourne in 1938.
Chandra Hirjee, the debonaire hero of many thrilling battle fought on the Velvety Green in the cosy atmosphere of a Billiard hall will lead the Indian challenge in his opening match against the Mata Champion, Wilfred Asciak his evening (Thursday).
India came very near Wining the World Title in 1952 when Hirjee finished a close second . Hirjee has beaten the reigning champion. Bob Marshall – the greatest amateur billiards player yet born in the world – by more than 100 points after wiping out a deficit of 240 points at the end of the first session. After trailing Driffield, the eventual world champion for the greatest part of the game 4 Hours, Hirjee made up the leeway to a great extent, narrowing down the lead of his opponent to only 43 points. The entire match ended in36 visits but on the 33rd visit the score position was Hirjee 1159 to Driffield’s 1202 .