Delhi's Keerat Bhandal to be youngest cueist in World championship

New Delhi, Aug 11 (UNI) Ten year old local girl Keerat Bhandal, is all set to become the youngest cueist to participate in the World championship as she will represent India in the IBSF World Under-21 snooker championship to be held in Goa from August 21 to 31.

Keerat, a student of Carmel Convent School here, will be part of the three member Indian women team for the championship, the two other players are Lavanya Baskaran and Arantxa Lael Sanchi.

Cueists from more than 30 countries are taking part in the championship which is being held in India for the third time.

Bangalore has played host twice in the past.

Even though the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) had taken a far reaching decision of allowing men and women cueists to compete on the same table for the World Junior title, the BSFI has forced the world body to have separate championships for both men and women.

The BSFI has decided to set aside 2000 dollars for the seperate women's championship that will be held concurently with the men's meet. The men will compete for 10,000 dollars prize money.

England, Ireland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Latvia, Thailand, China, Egypt, Iran and Singapore are some of the countries who have confirmed their entries for the championship.

Women from New Zealand, Iran, China, France and the host India will compete for the title.

Meanwhile The IBSF championship been dedicated to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ''We have decided to dedicated the championship in Rajiv Gandhi's memory as he played a major role in popularising the green baize sport in the country'' said the President of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI), Capt. P. V. K. Mohan.

The Championship commences a day after the 63rd birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi.

UNI