Watching the Jim Beam National 8-Ball Championships held from 6 to 27 July, two things were clear:

The invasion of the ladies

All 6 pool halls Urbanwire spoke with agreed that they were seeing noticeably more female players. There are “90-odd” pool halls in Singapore, according to the Public Entertainment Licensing Division.

Charlie Ong, 29, Manager of Superpool Bukit Timah, echoed their sentiments of other hall operators saying, “Definitely, the number of female players has increased. It’s a trend that more and more females are playing pool.”

Sonny Lim, the 1995 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 9-ball gold medallist, jokingly commented that the reason is simple.

“Pool among women is getting more popular because guys go into pubs to play pool a lot right? Women follow their boyfriends, and then they pick up the game!”

On a more serious note, Singapore Billiards and Snooker Council (SBSC) Chairman Manmohanjit Singh attributes this to the fact that Singapore, unlike some of its Southeast Asian neighbours, “does not discriminate against females.” This, he believes, gives opportunity to female players to try out the game for themselves.

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“This is one sport where ladies can beat the guys upside-down,” admitted Mr. Singh light-heartedly.

And Varsha Majmudar, who played in the 2001 World Team Cup, believes that the women “can only get better.”

Efforts are being taken to raise the profile of the sport among the female population.

All 60 teams in this year’s TNP After 5 Pool League must include at least 1 female player in their squad of 8. Altogether, 97 female players are taking part in the competition, which begins this month.

To ensure that the fairer sex are not only token or novelty participants, SBSC also sends lady players to pool championships for the exposure, added Mr. Singh.

Furthermore, as Ms. Majmudar observed, the SBSC organises weekly training programmes for selected female players.

Chiming in with her perspective, the newly-crowned Jim Beam National 8-Ball Ladies’ Champion feels that the appeal of the game is not the fleeting one of a fad.

“The game is addictive because Singapore has good facilities and you just can’t escape from it,” laughed the amiable 34-year-old.

A run for the money

Not only are more players taking part in the 13 major competitions organised annually by the SBSC, standards are rising as well.

Added exposure to fine players and a growing number of people taking up the sport are possible reasons for this happy state of affairs.

>>>	Not that situation has been so bleak to begin with. According to Mr. Manmohanjit Singh, who is also the Vice-President of the Asian Pocket Billiard Union, Singapore has not returned home from a SEA Games empty-handed in cue sports since 1991.

However, the SBSC is not satisfied with just that. In order to raise the profile of the game, the SBSC will be bringing the Asian 8-ball Championships to Singapore from 11-25 September. Another competition that the SBSC is organising is The New Paper (TNP) After 5 Pool League, mentioned earlier. This nationwide league welcomes both social and professional players, and promotes the sport to non-players. The competitors normally represent pool halls and pubs, but any establishment with a pool table on the premises can send a team.

This year’s participation increased by 42%, with 60 teams of 8 players each taking part. This huge increase is an indication of the increasing popularity of the sport.

Not only is the game played by a growing number of people, the overall standard of play has also gone up, say our top players.

“The players are improving,” said 39-year-old Sonny Tan, who was Champion in the Men’s category of the Jim Beam National 8-Ball Championships.

Tan, who picked up the game when he was only 13, has done his part to improve the standard of play: he coached two players who participated in this year’s event.

Bernard Tey, last year’s runner-up, agreed wholeheartedly with Tan.

“This year, got more upsets,” said second seed Tey, who was, himself, toppled early in the competition. “The standard is going up. Even Amy Hoe (the first seed and defending champion) went out early,” concurred Ms. Majmudar, who was seeded sixth for this year’s event.

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With interest in the sport at an all-time high and still rising, the playing standard can only improve, and we could well see the next Earl Strickland or Allison Fisher emerge from our pool halls and pubs.

What accounts for the popularity of pool?

Bernard Tey, 34, who will represent Singapore at the 14th Asian Games in Busan later this year in 8-ball singles, believes that “the game is suitable for both young and old.”
Pool is not physically demanding and more of a mental game; so you do not have to be physically fit to play the game. In fact, Jose Parica and Efren Reyes, sixth and seventh on the 2002 Player Money List respectively as of August 1, are 53 and 48 respectively.

Profile: Sonny Lim

How did you start out and when?
“I am 39 now; I started 26 years ago. That means I started around 13 years old. I started playing for money first.”

Do you have the temptation to dominate challengers’ tables?
“No lah...”

Where do you normally play?
“Superpool at Marina South.”

What do you think of this year’s tournament?
“This year’s tournament was well-organised. I think the players are improving”

What advice do you have for newbies?
“Just enjoy; just go and whack!”

Who is your favourite player?
“Chao Fong-Pang [from Taiwan], also called the cold-faced killer. He’s also my good friend.”

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Profile: Varsha Majmudar

How did you start out and when?
“I was a snooker player until about three years ago. That’s how I started.”

Do you have the temptation to dominate challengers’ tables?
“I am a mother with a four-year-old child. I don’t enter pubs and those sort of places.”

Where do you normally play?
“I don’t play that often; I just practise before tournaments.”

What do you think of the health and future of the sport?
“We have training programs for ladies coming up. I think they (the ladies) can only get better.”

What advice do you have for newbies?
“Just enjoy. At least enjoy while you’re winning!”

Who is your favourite player?
“I would have wanted [Francisco] Bustamante to win [the 2002 World 9-ball Championships].”

 

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If you’re new to the game, or a strictly social player, there’s no better time to get acquainted with a few terms you’ll hear being bandied about at your local pool hall: Ball-in-hand: When your opponent commits a foul, you have ball-in-hand. You can place the cue ball anywhere on the table to facilitate your shot-making.

Balls: There are 15 balls on the table, excluding the cue-ball. The solid or spot balls are numbered from 1 to 7; the stripes are numbered 9 to 15. The number 8 ball is the black one. All of them are distinct by having either a unique colour or a different pattern to a similarly coloured ball.

You hit the object ball at an angle and it bounces of the cushion and back into the pocket at the pocket nearest to you.

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Bank shot: Also known as a double, this involves potting the object ball by hitting it off a cushion. Think of it as deflecting the object ball like a laser beam on a mirror.

Break: This is the first shot of every match. The balls are racked up, and the breaking player drives the cue ball into the rack to spread the balls around the table. If there’s one shot you don’t want to miss, it’s this one. Very embarrassing if you do.

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the moment of impact

The spider bridge (below) is used when there is a ball impeding you to make a proper bridge.

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Bridge: This is the platform your hand becomes, on which you place your cue to hit the shot. This sometimes causes your hand to cramp up though.

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Chalk: Chalk is used on the leather cue tip to increase friction so it will not slip off the cue ball when hitting it. The chalk is normally blue and comes in small cubes (about 2cm on each side). This is what’s usually stolen from pool halls, being the most portable object.

Cue: This is what first-timers call ‘the stick’. Normally made of wood or fibre-glass, this is what you use to hit the cue ball. It can also be a pretty lethal weapon if you tick some one off.

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This is found at pool halls. Pick a cue and you’re ready to play.

Cue ball: The white ball you use to pot your object balls.

Cushion: Also called a rail, this forms the perimeter of the table, and is used in bank and kick shots. You can also place the chalk, betting money, handphones and your elbows here.

Declare: When you declare a pocket, you are stating that you are aiming the object ball for that pocket. If you miss or get it in another pocket, your turn at the table is over. Normally skipped for the purpose of integrity, but actually because otherwise the games would last a lot longer.

make your bridge lower so you can hit the lower part of the cue ball.

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Draw: By aiming the cue slightly below the centre of the cue ball, the cue ball will move in the direction opposite to that which it was hit after it hits the object ball. This is similar to the backspin induced in a golf shot. This aids the placement of the cue ball. Singaporean variant: Screw tarik (pronounced skulu talik)

English: This means inducing sidespin on the cue ball by hitting either side of the centre. This helps you place the cue ball. Hitting the right side of the cue ball induces right english. When the cue ball touches the cushion, the clockwise spin ‘bites’ off the cushion and the ball is ‘thrown’ to the right. The converse is also true. When hitting an object ball left, left English would be known as inside english while right english would be outside english and vice versa.

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right english left English

A slightly higher bridge to hit the higher part of the cue ball

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Follow: The so-called opposite of draw. After the cue ball hits the object ball, the cue ball actually gains speed in the direction it was hit. This is achieved by hitting above the centre of the cue ball, inducing a topspin effect. This aids the placement of the cue ball. When this is done at an inappropriate moment, the cue ball ‘follows’ the object ball into the pocket to hilarious effect. And yes, that’s a foul.

Foxy: This is hitting an object ball to pot another object ball. As a result, this shot is twice as difficult to make most of the time. It is very useful especially when you have a parked ball. Multiple foxys (e.g. using ball 1 to hit 2 to hit 3 to hit 4 etc.) are frequently declared because there is nothing to lose. If you miss, no one expected you to make the shot anyway. If you get lucky, then you’re the hero that made the impossible shot.

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The foxy

your worst nightmare. You have to take a kich shot down to the end of the table.

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Jaw snook: This happens when you are snookered not by the balls but by the ‘jaw’ of a pocket.

Jump ball: This spectacular shot is executed when you are snookered and a kick shot is not possible. This involves hitting the cue ball at about a 40-degree angle into the bed of the table. If properly executed, the ball will jump off the table and over the impeding ball and hit the object ball. Easier said than done? Very much so.

Kick shot: This involves hitting the cue ball off one or more cushions to hit your object ball. This is usually done when you are snookered.

Kiss: When you kiss the object ball, you are hitting the ball at a very fine angle (with the cue, not your lips). This is also known as cutting.

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Slicing the ball at such an acute angle requires precision.

Masse: This makes the cue ball curve round an obstacle to hit the object ball. This is a spectacular shot best attempted by professionals. Elevating the cue so the tip is facing the table bed, hit the cue ball at the equivalent of bottom right English if you want the ball to curl right, and vice versa. Normally, you end up with a chalk mark on the fabric and a foul, but you should live in the hope that the improbable will happen.

Object ball: The ball you want to pot.

Parked: This is when your object ball is very near a pocket, and it is almost impossible to miss it. Sometimes you park a ball at the pocket to prevent your opponent from potting his object ball into the same pocket. A rather underhand method, I might add.

Placement: This refers to the stationary position of the cue ball after it has hit the object ball. Professionals use a combination of draw or follow and english to place the cue ball where they want it to have an easier next shot.

simple rule: got the ball into the hole.

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Pocket: This refers to the six holes on the perimeter of the playing surface. An object ball played into the pocket is said to be pocketed or potted.

Pot: Not the illegal variety, but simply to pocket an object ball.

Take note of the arrangement of the balls, it has to be arranged this way.

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Rack: This happens at the beginning of the game when you use the triangle to pack the balls tightly in order to prepare for the break. The most tedious part of the game.

Scratch: This is when you inadvertently pot your cue ball by mistake. This is a foul and results in a ball-in-hand for your opponent. Singaporean variant: “You should go play golf.” A reference to you getting the white ball in the hole. “Chiak chui!” – Literally, eat water in Hokkien. This means your ball has drowned, or eaten water.

Snookered: This means the direct path from the cue ball to the object ball is obstructed. To hit your object ball when snookered, you can use dig-yourself-out-of-the-hole measures like the masse, jump ball and kick shot.

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You can try to snooker your opponent to get an advantage.

Stop ball: This is a visually fascinating shot where you hit the cue ball powerfully to pot the object ball at a straight angle. By applying a limited amount of draw, the ball stops dead on contact. This is also applicable with a softer shot, albeit with less spectacular impact. This is used by professionals as a drill to train their cue ball control.

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Triangle: As the name suggests, this is a triangular frame used to rack the balls. It is normally made of plastic or wood.

(adapted from www.billiardworld.com)
For the rules of pool, click here>>>

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Before the 2-day National Floorball Carnival 2002 begins on Sept 7 at the Choa Chu Kang Sports Hall, Andy Soh spent 3 evenings with premier local floorball team the Moosettesz, in training and a match, and found out about the game's incredible pace, and the pretty ones playing.

We're talking about floorball, a sport that won't fill stadiums (yet), but will surely make you huff, puff and sweat in a whack-it-out with its strong emphasis on speed and intensity.

At first sight, it looks like a hybrid between hockey, ice hockey and roller hockey - 2 opposing teams scurrying across the playing surface, trying to score goals by hitting the ball into the net with a stick. And it's sometimes called streetbandy here in Singapore when only half the 6 players per team are playing.

Floorball originated from Sweden during the 1960s. It is similar to ice hockey except a ball has replaced the puck. And since you can play it on just about any hard surface, it's more versatile than ice hockey.

A standard game is played over three 20-minute periods between 2 teams of 6 players, in which 1 player is goalkeeper. Apart from the goalkeeper who needs a mask and padded attire, you really need only a floorball stick to play the game. The objective is simple - whack the ball into the opponents' net with the stick. The higher scoring team wins.

Picture 12 adult Scandinavians packed in a 40 m by 20 m court, which is much smaller than a hockey or ice hockey playing area, and you can imagine how intense floorball can be.

Stefan Dahlgren, 35, coach of the Singapore women's floorball team and the Moosettesz, gave three reasons that make floorball attractive.

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"Firstly, it's super intense, which means everybody gets involved regardless of skill. Secondly, it has very few rules. You can have a 5-minute introduction and play a fun game. Thirdly, even though it's easy to understand, it has different technical levels [to attain]; different things you can do."

The pass or shot

The spin

 

Warning: Playing might be hazardous to health, can cause broken bones and nasty cuts.

Sitting at the spectator stands overlooking the rugby pitch at the former School of Physical Education along Adam Road, I couldn't help but feel a strange foreboding, perhaps intimidation, by what was to come.