Geet Sethi-Jewel Of India. Review on Geet Sethi

It is a matter of great honour that I have got this opportunity to be the first to write about one of the true champions of the green baize, the game of billiards.

I think Geet Sethi needs no introduction to a follower of sport in India. India has unfortunately produced only a few world champions in any sport. However, billiards and snooker have been a mass producer of world champion, on the last count at least 15 Indians have become world champion in either billiards or snooker. To name a few, Wilson Jones, Michael Ferreira, Arvind Savur, Om Agarwal, Ashok Shandilya and Geet Sethi himself have kept the Indian Flag flying high. Geet Sethi has not only kept up the tradition but has in fact surpassed all his predecessors in this game.

It is ironical that cricket a game confined to few countries ( eleven to be precise) has more fan following than billiards in India where in fact billiards is a game played all over the world. The Indian Government has not patronized the game as it saw the game as colonial legacy, though the same holds true for cricket, too !

I have digressed from writing on the subject. Coming back to Geet Sethi, he first broke into international fame in 1985 when he won the world amateur billiard championship proving himself to be the true inheritor of the legacy created by Wilson Jones and carried on by Michael Ferreira. He won the world championship once again in 1987, a year in which he won the Asian Billiards Championship.

His precocious talent was visible in 1982 when he first won the National Billiards Championship beating established players. He dominated the National Billiards scene like a colossus winning it in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1997 and 1998.

His achievements were not confined only to billiards; he dominated the national snooker championship winning it in four consecutive years, 1985 ? 1988. In fact so thorough was his mastery over the game that he won both the national billiards and snooker title for four straight years 1985-1988.

He was unstoppable in the amateur level which influenced him to seek greener pastures by turning professional. There was no stopping him at the professional circuit also where he won the word professional billiards championship on four occasions in 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1998.

His titanic battles with Mike Russell, the Englishman were the stuff legends were made of. In most of the occasions when they met, Geet Sethi used to come out trumps. One of the occasions, he constructed a break of 1276 in the 1992 World Professional Billiards Championship which is the existing world record under the three pot rule and it was the highest break ever made by a player in the last five decades. His patriotism has never been in doubt and has in fact been a continuing thread in his professional carrier that he has always played best when he represented India. The most striking proof of the fact was when he powered India to gold and silver performances at the 13th Asian games in Bangkok.

The nation has recognized his services to the game by awarding him a Padma Shri and Arjuna award in 1986. He is also the recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1992 which is highest award given for contribution to the Indian sport.

Of late, he has suffered from a slight dip in his form due to his failing eye sight. He has now set sights on an Olympic Gold medal for India when Billiards and Snooker become an Olympic sport. Knowing Geet Sethi, I am sure he will go for it.

May he continue to play and entertain us with his magnificent skills.