India’s Shivam Arora faltered on the home stretch in the gold-medal match of the men’s heyball event at the inaugural Commonwealth Billiards Championships here late on Sunday.
The world No. 5, who was up 6-5 in the race-to-9 finale, lost 7-9 to Uganda’s Chandiga Caesar and settled for the silver medal. In a match that could have gone either way, the 38-year-old Arora came up short with the tape in sight.
Despite the setback, Indian cueists won five medals – one gold, two silver and bronze medals apiece – in the four-day bash. Vidya Pillai won the gold in women’s heyball, while Chitra Magimairaj took the silver in women’s 10-ball pool, while Keerthana Pandian and Anupama Ramachandran, the Asian snooker champion, settled for the bronze in women’s 6-red snooker.
Result: Heyball: Men (Final): Shivam Arora (Ind) lost to Chandiga Caesar (Uga) 7-9.
The medallists:
Gold: Vidya Pillai (women’s heyball).
Silver: Shivam Arora (men’s heyball), Chitra Magimairaj (women’s 10-ball pool).
Bronze: Keerthana Pandian, Anupama Ramachandran (both women’s 6-red snooker).
