Asian Games billiards: Medals elude Indian cueists on fourth day
By IANSTuesday, November 16, 2010
GUANGZHOU - India’s medal-winning streak in cue sports came to a halt Tuesday with Dharmender Singh Lily, Alok Kumar and Manan Chandra crashing out of their respective events at the Asian Games.
Veteran Lilly lost 8-40 to Joji Kai of Japan in the men’s carom 3 singles quarterfinals.
Kumar, who won the bronze in men’s 8-ball pool Sunday, suffered a premature exit from the 9-ball version, losing 4-9 to Japanese Hisataka Kamihasha in a preliminary match at the Asian Games Town Gymnasium.
In the same event, Chandra was no match to Phuc Long Nguyen of Vietnam and lost 3-9 to bow out of the competition.
India so far have won three cue sports medals at the Games, including the billiards singles gold courtesy Pankaj Advani. The men’s snooker team bagged a silver after losing to China in the finals.
Indira Gowda will be shouldering India’s challenge in the women’s 8-ball pre-quarterfinals, where she takes on Thuy Vi Duong of Vietnam Wednesday.
Advani will be eyeing another gold when he begins his snooker singles campaign Thursday.
