NEW DELHI: It was a double delight for India's talented cueist Anuj Uppal, who emerged champion in the Amit Sharma Memorial Delhi State Senior 6-Red snooker championships at the Megapool Academy here in Dwarka, nearly a week after claiming the 15-Red snooker crown at the same venue in a commanding fashion. The tournament was played in the memory of late cueist Amit Sharma, who had died after succumbing to Covid-19 in May this year. A former billiards champion, Sharma was the vice-president of the Delhi Billiards and Snooker Association (DBSA). His wife, Manisha Sharma - a school teacher and a poet herself - gave away the trophies to winning cueist Uppal and other runners-up in the tournament.
Uppal, a former World Masters silver medallist, was unstoppable in the final against Harpreet Singh as the champion cueist literally toyed with his opponent's game and secured a dominating 5-0 win in front of a cheering audience. Harpreet had no answers to Uppal's jaw-dropping green table tricks and conceded the summit clash in a rather lop-sided contest. However, Uppal's journey to the title triumph wasn't as convincing as his final win might sound, as the 2019 World 6-Red snooker championships quarterfinalist was given a run for his money by an equally impressive Singh in the semifinal clash.
It was a neck-and-neck contest between the two and it took the decider frame to settle the issue in Uppal's favour. Uppal was lucky to win on the 'black ball' in the sixth and seventh frame, as the eventual title winner walked away with the honours after scripting a tough 4-3 win over Gurdit. However, Uppal faced no such problems against Harpreet in the summit clash.
Speaking during the awards ceremony, DBSA president Vijay Goel assured the cue fraternity that the unfinished vision of late Sharma to promote cue sports in Delhi and across India will be carried forward by the federation and the country's promising cueists.
DBSA secretary Ravi Tandon added that it was indeed an emotional tournament for him as the man supposed to play and lift the trophy wasn't around. "Sharma was supposed to win the championships. Now the trophy is in his name," stated Tandon.
Scoreline:
Semifinal against Gurdit Singh: Uppal won 39-28, 23-32, 12-39, 41-10, 23-39, 35-34 39-36
Final against Harpreet Singh: Uppal won 43-09 51-10 34-21 47-21 43-09
