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Simple cannons and pots help Rayaan win national sub-junior billiards title in Pune
17-year-old Mumbaiite beats Sumer Mago 627-263 at the National Billiards and Snooker Championship at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana on Monday.
PUNE After defeating his younger brother Shahyan in the semifinal, Rayaan Razmi walloped Sumer Mago 627-263 in the final of the sub-junior billiards at the National Billiards and Snooker Championship at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana on Monday.
Mago entered the final after shocking favourite Kreishh Gurbaxani 319-308, in earlier on Monday.
The game which got off to a very close start had a very huge margin dividing the two finalists from Maharashtra towards the end.
Rayaan seemed composed from the start, while Mago was fluffing his lines in an effort to make easy pots. After crossing the 50-point marker, Rayaan played simple shots to pot and get a few cannons to take a slender lead. Mago responded with some sublime reverse-spin shots that helped him restore parity.
As both players approached the 100-point mark, Rayaan started to race ahead, still relying on simple cannons and pots to add crucial points to his kitty.
Mago, on the other hand took an aggressive approach to the game as he played risky shots, which were not rewarding for the teenager.
The trouble kept piling on for Mago as Razmi potted a sublime break of 53 to further extend his advantage.
Seeing the gap increase every time Rayaan came to the baize, Mago failed to retain his composure and missed a couple of glorious opportunities to pocket the red.
As Mago touched 150-points, Rayaan was already sailing towards the 250-point mark.
Even after gaining a comfortable lead, Rayaan hesitated to play tricky shots. The 17-year-old was eyeing his first national sub-junior title and avoided doing anything which would lead to a silly error.
Mago returned to the baize after sitting in his chair for over 10 minutes, during a Rayaan 77-point break and faltered almost immediately.
Crossing the 600-point mark, Mago was brimming with confidence and finally attempted a few trick shots since he was in possession of a comfortable 270-point lead.
After the utterly one-sided match, Rayaan said, “I was completely focused on the sub-junior category, because I will not be eligible next year. In my previous three attempts, I have won a bronze and a silver. I was without a gold and I desperately wanted at least one gold and I got that today, so I am extremely pleased.”
Rayaan trains at the Radio Club and Elphinstone Cricket Club in Mumbai. The 17-year-old prefers billiards over snooker, but is playing in all the categories in both events. Rayaan trains under Ashok Shandilya for billiards and under Yasin Merchant for snooker.
After the match
“My father has played a very important role in my journey. He has been a constant support. I am very happy to emerge victorious after playing against really good players.”
- Rayaan Razmi, winner, billiards sub-junior champion
Results: Sub-junior billiards
Semifinals
Sumer Mago (Maharashtra) 319 bt Kreish Gurbaxani (Maharashtra) 308
Rayaan Razmi (Maharashtra) 490 bt Shahyan Razami (Maharashtra) 26
Final
Rayaan Razmi (Maharashtra) 627 bt Sumer Mago (Maharashtra) 263
Third place
Kreishh Gurbaxani (Maharashta) 386 bt Shahyan Razmi (Maharashtra) 212.
