Pocketing laurels: Carrom is not a child's play

Continuing the trend of city players shining bright in international tournaments, Dinesh Babu, Anil Kumar and Sandeep clinched the winning titles at the United States Carrom Grand Slam Championship held in Dallas recently. All three of them had their first tryst with the game in a very casual manner. Sandeep Kumar, who won the doubles title along with partner Anil Kumar, explains how it all started for him. “During my school days, the board used to be taken out only during summer vacations. Eventually, I started playing at a club close to my home. Some senior players noticed me and said that I had a gift. They guided me and made me take part in competitions,” says Sandeep, a sales and marketing professional.

He says that carrom is very therapeutic. “The game reduces my stress levels and I feel calm when I play it. So, even though I practice for three to four hours a day, I don’t feel like I am working too hard,” he says. His partner, Anil Kumar, recalls, “I would go along with my father to his office when I was 10 years old as they had a badminton court and carrom boards there. I never used to get a chance to play badminton, so I took up carrom instead. Little did I know that it would come such a long way with me,” he says.

Anil started playing tournaments in 1987 and has won several laurels since. He has been the Telangana State Champion many times and was awarded the title of the Most Valuable Player in this championship. “ If I have come this far, it is because of my coaches Madanraj and Nissar Ahmed,” he says. The winner of the Singles title, Dinesh Babu, dedicates this achievement to his father, who passed away recently. “My wife and other family members assured me that the best gift that I could give my father was this title. My father may be gone, but his blessings continue to be with me,” he says. Carrom has not only brought Dinesh fame, but has also given him a livelihood. Having secured a job at the Indian Audit and Accounts Department through the sports quota, he says that he works in such a way that his recruiters don’t regret hiring him.

Recalling a very special moment in his sporting career, he explains, “Martin Menzies and Nissar Ahmed are two players that I have looked up to ever since I started playing. In 1993, I got to play with Martin Menzies and went on to defeat him! It was simply a great moment.”