'Sultans' win Mumbai billiards league

Mumbai, Aug 7 – PJ Hindu Gymkhana ‘Sultans of Hazard’ lived up to their reputation when they beat CCI ‘Billiards Boys’ to emerge champions in The Zarine and Yazdi Daruvala Charitable Trust Mumbai Billiards League at the Dadar Parsee Colony Gymkhana here Tuesday.

‘Sultans’, who played with a total handicap of -160, got off to an envious start as Asian bronze medallist Devendra Joshi fired a break of 86 to tame Hasan Badami 200-59 in the opening tie. Twice world runner-up Dhruv Sitwala subdued Hitesh Kotwani 200-92 in the second tie.

Playing with a handicap of +170, ‘Billiards Boys’ had a target of 119 in the deciding tie as Kekoo Nicholson faced the formidable Siddharth Parikh of ‘Sultans’.

Parikh fired an early break of 109 in brilliant top-table play that earned him the tournament’s highest break prize, and added two breaks of 40s as he overwhelmed a hapless Nicholson who was stranded on just eight points.

Results: Final: PJ Hindu Gymkhana ‘Sultans of Hazard’ bt CCI ‘Billiards Boys’ 440-329.