Sourav Kothari clinched his maiden IBSF World Billiards title (timed format) in Carlow, Ireland, on Wednesday. Sourav undoubtedly excelled in the tournament, but it was his father, Manoj, who played the catalyst in the 40-year-old’s success.
Ahead of Sourav’s semi-final clash against England’s David Causier, known as the “beast” on the billiards circuit, the senior Kothari knew how to motivate his son.
“I told him a story where John Spencer, a former world billiards champion, while speaking to another professional player, asked the latter, ‘How do you differentiate between two quality players with a similar set of abilities?’ The other player couldn’t answer. Spencer then said, ‘It’s on the basis of rhythm.’
“Rhythm is what sets the best apart. That’s exactly what I told Sourav,” Manoj, who had won the IBSF World Billiards crown in 1990 in Bengaluru, said.
Kothari ensured he regained rhythm, which played a huge role in helping him beat the deadly Causier in the semis and then multiple world title holder Pankaj Advani in the final to achieve glory.
In the semi-final against Causier, Kothari amassed breaks of 299 and 263 to take a lead of almost 600 points at the mid-session interval. Though Causier fired in a break of 326 points, Kothari’s efforts in the first session eventually helped him prevail 864-547. Thereafter, in the decider, the Calcutta cueist recorded an emphatic 725-480 win over his fiercest rival, Advani. Kothari’s break of 325 was the final’s standout moment as he also notched up breaks of 119 and 112. The triumph in Carlow made Kothari the third Indian ever to have won both the IBSF and the WBL (World Billiards Limited) world titles.
Sourav acknowledged that the “sense of belief” instilled by his father-cum-mentor Manoj made a big difference in his performance. “My dad is a very critical coach. Even if I play a wonderful match and do 99 things good out of 100, he speaks to me later and points out that one wrong thing I did, which helps me.
“But in this tournament, he was constantly motivating me and making me count on the good things I did, the breaks that I made... So, it kind of instilled a sense of confidence in me, and more than anyone else, his words have a lasting impression.
“When he’s telling me that I’m playing well and striking the ball well, it really makes a big difference to me,” Kothari told The Telegraph from the Dublin airport on Thursday before his return home (via Doha).
Talking about his key moments in the competition, Kothari said: “The place where I took off in this tournament was the 490 break I made in the group stage. And then, to beat a top player like Peter Sheehan even after I was 200 points down.
“Thereafter, I think the highlight of my performance was against Causier. I made a 299 and a 263 to take a lead of (almost) 600 points in the first session. Somebody doing that to Causier is rarely seen.”
More than a game’s outcome, Kothari’s focus at present is on enjoying the process, as he believes “the game is best played if you enjoy it.”
Daggers were out at him after he had lost to Advani in a tournament, but detractors don’t matter much now to Kothari.
“Honestly, I have passed that stage where I have to settle scores with detractors. Naysayers will always be there, but if I have to react to one and all, I will never be able to move forward.
“I’ve become much calmer. I want to play and enjoy. You can’t just delete naysayers from life. But I prefer looking at the bright side,” he said.