Young Talent Shines, 10-Ball Kicks Off, and Semi-Finals Deliver High Drama at National Pool Championship 2026

Ludhiana, March 30, 2026: The Manisha Constructions National Pool Championship 2026 witnessed a packed day of action across categories, with Junior events showcasing emerging talent, the Men’s 10-Ball championship getting underway, and the Men’s 9-Ball semi-finals delivering thrilling finishes.
Junior Boys: Close Battles and Dominant Wins
The Junior Boys 9-Ball double elimination stage saw a mix of tight contests and one-sided victories, highlighting the depth of young talent across the country.
Several matches went down to the wire:
Shiny Verma (Punjab) edged Mayank Karthik (Karnataka) 5–4
Swarit Sharma (Delhi) defeated H.S. Tiwana (Punjab) 5–4
Aaron Goyal (Punjab) overcame Divjot Singh (Delhi) 5–4
Manan Grover (Punjab) secured a narrow 5–4 win
Saksham Jain (Delhi) and Krishraj Sethi (UP) also progressed through tight finishes
At the same time, several players stamped authority with dominant wins:
Laksh Sharma (Karnataka) blanked his opponent 5–0
Rehan Misra (Delhi) and Abdul Saif (Tamil Nadu) also recorded 5–0 victories
Yuvraj Singh (MP) and Laxminarayan (Tamil Nadu) delivered clean sweeps
Hardik Gaykwad (MP) impressed with consistent wins
Krishiv Oswal (Punjab) and Aatif Ansari (MP) advanced comfortably
The junior field continues to showcase a strong pipeline of future talent for Indian cue sports.
Junior Girls: Breakthrough Performances
In the Under-21 Girls category, standout performances emerged as players battled for semifinal spots.
Jia Sehgal (Punjab) delivered one of the highlights of the day, progressing to the semi-finals with a remarkable run:
Beat Aleina Khanna 4–0
Defeated Simran Singh 4–1
Pulled off a stunning 4–3 win over former Junior World Snooker Champion Natasha Chethan in a hill-hill decider
From the other group, Sanvi Shah (Madhya Pradesh) secured her place in the semi-finals with composed performances:
Won 4–2 against Giana Rego (Maharashtra)
Followed by another 4–2 win over L. Shruti (Tamil Nadu)
10-Ball Men: Championship Underway
The Men’s 10-Ball National Championship officially began, with the double elimination stage producing several dominant performances.
Notable results included:
Daksh Reddy (Karnataka) and Sheetal Varma (Punjab) recorded 6–0 wins
Joy Mehra (Punjab) and Dhruv Varma (Punjab) also delivered clean sweeps
Adarsh Verma (West Bengal) and Saqlain Mushtaque (West Bengal) impressed with 6–0 victories
Sameer Bhalla (Chandigarh) and Namit Sharma (Delhi) continued the trend of dominant wins
Strong performances also came from:
Arun Chhabra (Punjab)
Vinay Chawla (Punjab)
Harmeet Bhandari (Punjab)
Mandeep Singh (Punjab)
Vishwas Mangla (Haryana)
With the early rounds underway, the 10-Ball competition is shaping up to be highly competitive.
9-Ball Semi-Finals: Comebacks and Control
The day’s biggest moments came in the Men’s 9-Ball semi-finals, delivering high drama and top-level performances.
Nitin Sharma (Chandigarh) produced one of the most remarkable comebacks of the tournament, overturning a 1–6 deficit against S. Shrikrishna (PSPB) to win 11–10 in a gripping hill-hill decider. The match showcased resilience, mental strength, and championship temperament.
In the other semi-final, Pankaj Advani (PSPB) continued his dominant run, defeating Kushal Chandrashekhar (Karnataka) 11–5. Advani controlled the match from the outset, maintaining a steady lead and never allowing his opponent to close the gap.
With the finalists now decided in the Men’s 9-Ball category, attention turns to the championship decider, while the Junior and 10-Ball events continue to build momentum.
From emerging junior talent to elite-level semi-final clashes, the championship continues to showcase the full spectrum of Indian cue sports—combining future promise with world-class excellence.