Ahmedabad, September 15 (H.S.): India’s top cue sports talents will take the field in Ahmedabad in October with an ambition to create history. The 18-member Indian squad for the second edition of the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championship has been announced. For the first time, the prestigious multi-discipline competition will be held in India.

The championship will be held from October 7 to 10 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad. Players from around 46 Commonwealth nations will compete in English billiards, snooker, 10-ball pool, heyball and blackball.

Organised by Apex Sports Promotion and hosted by the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI), the championship is recognised by the World Confederation of Billiards Sports and Commonwealth Sport. The event marks a significant milestone for Indian cue sports and will also form a major part of the BSFI’s centenary celebrations.

India won five medals at the inaugural Commonwealth Cue Sports Championship held in Mauritius in 2025. The haul included Vidya Pillai’s gold medal in women’s heyball, Shivam Arora’s silver in men’s heyball and Chitra Magimairaj’s silver in women’s 10-ball pool. All three players have received direct entry this year and will look to add to their medal tally on home soil.

Vidya and Shivam Among Key Medal Hopes

Commonwealth women’s heyball champion Vidya Pillai will be among India’s leading medal contenders. She won the gold medal in Mauritius last year after defeating South Africa’s Marina Jacobs in a thrilling shootout. She will now have an opportunity to defend her title in front of a home crowd.

Shivam Arora will also enter the competition determined to improve on his previous performance in men’s heyball. He won the silver medal in Mauritius and gave Uganda’s Caesar Chandiga a tough challenge in the final. Arora will be aiming to convert his silver into gold this time.

Vidya Pillai said, “Winning the first Commonwealth title was an extremely special moment for me, but defending it in India makes this edition even more significant. Having a competition of this scale come to Ahmedabad and playing in front of our supporters is something we are all eagerly looking forward to. We know players from different Commonwealth nations will compete and the contest will be tough, but the support of the home crowd can give us additional energy. I am excited to return to the Commonwealth Championship and hope to give the people of the country a reason to celebrate.”

Arora said, “The silver medal in Mauritius gave me a lot of confidence, but it also motivated me to improve further. Playing the Commonwealth Championship in India, and particularly in Ahmedabad, will be a completely different experience for us. We know the level of competition will be high, but our preparation is aimed at securing the top spot on the podium. Hosting an international championship of this stature is a major opportunity for cue sports in India, and we want to make the most of it.”

Experienced Players to Join Emerging Talents

The Indian squad features a blend of experienced international players and promising emerging talents.

In the women’s section, reigning IBSF Women’s World Snooker Champion Anupama Ramachandran will lead India’s challenge in English billiards alongside Revanna Umadevi. The 2026 Asian Women’s Snooker Champion, Keerthana Pandian, will spearhead India’s snooker campaign alongside Shruti Lakshminarayanan and Ishika Shah.

Two-time World Women’s English Billiards Champion and Commonwealth Women’s 10-Ball Pool silver medallist Chitra Magimairaj will compete in 10-ball pool alongside Nina Praveen and Amy Kamani. Teenage talent Natasha Chetan will strengthen India’s women’s challenge in blackball.

The men’s team includes experienced players such as Siddharth Parikh, Laxman Rawat and Sundeep Gulati. They will be joined by emerging talents including Ryan Rajmii and Paras Gupta. Rawat, who produced an impressive performance at the 2026 WPA Heyball World Championship, will arrive in Ahmedabad in strong form, with Aditya Mehta joining him in snooker.

Divya Sharma will represent India in men’s 10-ball pool, while Sundeep Gulati will compete in blackball.

A total of 10 sets of medals across the men’s and women’s categories will be at stake at the championship. Billiards has been included in the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championship programme for the first time this year.

India’s 18-Member Squad

Men: Siddharth Parikh and Ryan Rajmii in English billiards; Laxman Rawat and Aditya Mehta in snooker; Shivam Arora (direct entry) and Paras Gupta in heyball; Divya Sharma in 10-ball pool; and Sundeep Gulati in blackball.

Women: Anupama Ramachandran and Revanna Umadevi in English billiards; Keerthana Pandian, Shruti Lakshminarayanan and Ishika Shah in snooker; Vidya Pillai (direct entry) and Amy Kamani in heyball; Chitra Magimairaj (direct entry) and Nina Praveen in 10-ball pool; and Natasha Chetan in blackball.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar