My previous visits to India were all delightful but this one at Park Royal, I must say, is something special. Weather apart, the game is absorbing and the Blue Star Golden Cue Championships, with its new unfamiliar format looks like keeping all of us on our toes. We not only have to do well in our respective specialisations, be it billiards or snooker, but we also have to try our hand at pool and carrom.

To most people, it might seem easy. After all, they are all cue sport, you might say. Well, how many people can play four racquet sports with the same degree of ease? Can a tennis player be equally proficient at squash, table tennis and badminton?

The Golden Cue format is a true test of the all-round ability and technical finesse of a player. The rules are different for all the four games and most of us are currently unaware of them. The championship, therefore, will give us a chance to learn them.

Most significantly, it is this format which is now going to feature in the Olympic Games. It will be a demonstration sport in the 2000 Games, and if any of us harbour any ambitions of an Olympic medal, this might be a stepping stone.

For the Indians, as also for our Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese competitors, the Golden Cue format holds even more benefits. It will also feature in the 1998 Asian Games to be held in Bangkok. And not as a demo event, but as a medal sport. So Geet and the others will try and get as much out of it as they can.

On my part, I am extremely glad cue sports will finally figure in the Olympics. It has been a long and tough fight before we finally gained acceptance. I believe this move will go a long way in increasing the appeal of these games.

The governments of various countries are now going to start taking interest. Perhaps, more infrastructure will be created. More than that, these cash-strapped sports are now going to be eligible for much-needed aid. Players will be able to compete abroad without having to foot the whole bill. There might also be investment in the grass-root level of the sport.

I also hope public tables will come up, giving the layman an opportunity of trying their hand at these games. The more accessible these are to the public, the more the number of people playing. And in these numbers, we will finally get quality, too.

The players themselves will be proud to represent their countries now in the Olympics and Asian Games. The thrill of winning a championship is great, but of winning it for your country is even greater. I also believe there will be no clash between the professional side of the game with the Olympics. The Games have accommodated all manner of professional atheletes in the current past. I don't see why we won't find acceptance.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.