The Zarine & Yazdi Daruvala Charitable Trust Mumbai Billiards League 2016
Thakkar, Merchant star for Wizards
Yasin Merchant
Former state champion Rishabh Thakkar and seasoned Yasin Merchant fired impressive century breaks to lead Khar Gymkhana ‘Wizards of Hazards’ into the knock out pre-quarter-finals, in the BSAM-organised Zarine & Yazdi Daruvala Charitable Trust Mumbai Billiards League.
Playing with a -60 handicap in Group B, star-studded Wizards scored a narrow 540-509 home win over MIG ‘Feathers’ as Thakkar hit 105 for the highest break in the third week after twice Asian snooker champion Merchant won the opener and 2012 national 6-Red snooker champion Shivam Arora sealed the issue in the third tie.
Wizards went on to win their away tie as well following another tight 540-533 win as Merchant fired 101 for the week’s second highest break. Mahesh Jagdale of ECC ‘Elfie’s Elves (92), V. Subramanian of Matunga Gymkhana ‘Nirmal Anand’ (88) and Rohan Jambusaria (86) of MCF ‘Tough Men’ were the other cueists to hit significant breaks.
The knock out will be held at the Dadar Parsee Colony Gymkhana from April 20 with the championship round slated for April 27.
Teams in knock out pre-quarter-finals: A: Catholic Gym ‘The Challengers’. B: Khar Gym ‘Wizards of Hazards’, Chembur Gym Gladiators’. C: DPCG ‘Bawajis’, Khar Gym ‘Pocket Rockets’. D: Khar Gym ‘Challengers’, CRMI ‘Star Blue’. E: CCI ‘Billiards Boys’, SPG ‘Gentlemen’. F: Matunga Gym ‘Nirmal Anand’, Islam Gym ‘Billiards Warriors’. G: MCF ‘Tough Men’. H: Bombay Gym ‘Phantoms’, Matunga Gym ‘Spartans’.