OVERSEAS NEWS
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka National Billiards Championship
Billiards was the cue game which brought the first international laurels for Sri Lanka, when M. J. M. Lafir won the World Amateur Billiards Championship in 1973. The latest national billiards championship concluded with the final at the Billiards & Snooker Association headquarters in Columbo on Sunday 3rd September 2000.
The reigning national champion Khombala Sirisoma of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Sports Club won the 4 hour final by 1,622 points to 842. His opponent was J. A. Wahid of the Kandy Young Men's Muslim Association. At the conclusion of the first session of play Sirisoma was leading Wahid by 820 to 350 points with breaks of 102, 140, 66, 62, 64 and 83 against a single break of 70 by Wahid. The second session saw Sirisoma taking full control with his international exposure and experience to outplay his opponent with additional breaks of 226 and 105, displaying perfect cue control. This was Sirisoma's 13th National Championship win.
In the semi-finals, Sirisoma had comfortably defeated long time rival K. V. W. Jayasekera of the Centra YMCA by 1,221 points to 515 whilst Wahid overcame stiff opposition from Dr. Pani Somaratne of Health Sports Club by 748 points to 615 points. Sirisoma is expected to be Sri Lanka's entry to the forthcoming IBSF World Billiards Championship.
Billiards at School
With the approval of the Ministry of Education and assistance from the Ministry of Sports, the local controlling body, the Billiards & Snooker Association of Sri Lanka, have embarked on an ambitious mission to promote the game among the schools sports curriculum of Sri Lanka. The Sports Ministry, in a most welcome move, have donated four billiard tables to the association for distribution among selected schools in the districts. The B&SASL will conduct coaching clinics at the respective schools and shall establish training programmes for coaches, referees & players at district level in order to introduce the game to a wide range of cue enthusiasts.