From The Publisher's Desk
Since my childhood age of 16, I developed the passion for Cue Sports because it is an elite game & requires lot of concentration, mind application and professional skills. I have completed 50 golden years since I started playing this game and from last 25 years, I am dedicatedly promoting this game.
I formed the Delhi Billiards & Snooker Association in the year 1977 & organized the World Amateur Billiards Championships in 1981 & 1985 on behalf of the association which were met with rip roaring success.
After leaving DBSA, I sponsored four International & National tournaments in Mussoorie, Agra & New Delhi from 1998 to 2003. The purpose of sponsoring such tournaments was to give players the exposure & opportunity to showcase their skills on a suitable platform and also to win the prize money.
After a gap of a decade I started sponsoring the RKG International Masters Series in 2013 in which leading players of India got the opportunity to match their expertise with world’s best. Currently I am sponsoring the RKG 1st Pro-Open Snooker Series which consists of Four Zonal Tournaments in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata. The Grand Finale is at NSCI Mumbai. For both the above two series the organising part was and is being taken care by Yasin Merchant with his team
During the period 2000-2005 I have also started the Cue Sports monthly magazine for the lovers of this game as through which they can cherish the articles & expert views from legend players of Cue Sports and at the same time to give players the exposure they deserve as the print media were neglecting the Cue Sports. Infact even till now the print media is not covering the Cue Sports fairly.
With the objective of increasing the awareness about the game, I have recently launched a world class website www.rkgsnooker.com for more detailed analysis and coverage of Cue Sports. It will be packed with all the information, photographs and the happenings of various tournaments, so necessary for the up-liftment of this game.
I acknowledge my team who burnt the mid-night oil in compiling this compendium ably with Graphic Designer Shamim Nida for letting his imagination run amuck, Sunil Gandhi for data collection and proof reading, Kanhaiya for checking and Yashbir Sharma for writing various articles and leading the team in making this book.
I have made a blue print for cue sports and any idea or suggestion to improve it further will act as a catalyst. At the various prize distribution ceremonies, the speakers are magniloquent in delivering speeches, raving about the help extending to this sport. But, I mean it.
In the end I would like to request the readers to send their valuable comments which will be helpful for me in continuing this crusade. Ravindra Kumar Gupta