Cue Sports
Vidya Pillai wins gold at inaugural Commonwealth Billiards C'ships
Veteran cueist Vidya Pillai held off South Africa’s Marina Jacobs in a thrilling shootout to clinch Heyball gold.
Vidya Pillai (File photo)
In a stunning display of resilience and experience, Indian cueist Vidya Pillai clinched the gold medal in Heyball at the inaugural Commonwealth Billiards Championships, held in Balaclava, Mauritius, on Sunday.
Pillai, a former world champion in 6-Red Snooker, showcased her competitive grit by edging out South Africa’s Marina Jacobs in a dramatic final that ended 5-5, with the Indian star prevailing 3-1 in the deciding shootout.
Heyball, also known as Chinese 8-ball, is a modern cue sport that blends elements of pool and snooker, played on a Chinese-style table with tighter pockets and distinct rules emphasizing precision, strategy, and shot-making.
The 47-year-old Vidya opened the match with dazzling form, surging to a commanding 5-1 lead thanks to some exquisite potting.
However, a couple of strategic errors in the middle frames allowed Jacobs to claw her way back. The South African cueist took full advantage, winning four consecutive frames to level the match, forcing a shootout with just ten seconds left in the final frame.
Despite the momentum shifting in Jacobs’ favor, Vidya remained composed and leaned on her deep tactical knowledge and vast match experience.
She bounced back strongly in the shootout, winning it 3-1 and sealing her place at the top of the podium.
India’s hopes for another gold were dashed when Chitra Magimairaj narrowly lost in the women’s 10-ball pool final.
Chitra and Singapore’s Venus Lim Xinyi were locked at 5-5 at the end of regulation play. In the resulting shootout, Xinyi edged out Chitra 4-2 in a tense finish.
Chitra had earlier dominated her semifinal match, defeating Australia’s Leanne Haas with a clean 7–0 scoreline.
Meanwhile, two more Indian cueists added bronze medals to the country’s tally in the women’s 6-Red Snooker event.
Anupama Ramachandran put up a strong fight but was edged out 1-2 in her semifinal clash against England’s Rebecca Kenna. Keerthana Pandian, on the other hand, went down 0-2 to Singapore’s Chua Peifen Audrey, ending her run in the semifinals.
On the men’s side, Indian legend Pankaj Advani suffered a rare early exit in the 6-Red Snooker quarterfinals, losing 2-3 to Michael Georgiou of Cyprus.
Another Indian contender, Anurag Giri, also bowed out in the Heyball quarterfinals, narrowly losing 5-6 to South Africa’s Craig Bouwer.
