What inspired you to take up snooker, and when did you realize it could become a professional career?
I was introduced to snooker in 2000 by a friend, Hemang Badani, a left-handed batsman, from Tamil Nadu. We went to a pool snooker parlor and I realized that the sport was accessible to everyone. I was fascinated the first time I played and I wanted to continue till I got the hang of it, I saw others potting balls with ease and I found it a very exciting challenge. A few months after I started playing, I was inspired. I was doing freelance photography back then, and once a month became twice and then weekends. Soon, I started playing every day; eventually by the end of the year, I enrolled in the Tamilnadu Billiards and Snooker Association and sent in my entry for State Ranking. I didn’t know playing snooker was a career, I thought people just unwound and played randomly. However, I made it to the semi-finals that year. When they had the prize distribution, I met a sweet lady whom I assumed was the elderly relative of some player. In the women’s category we both played snooker and this lady Kamala Chandra Babu she went and collected the prize for both billiards and snooker. She must have been in her mid-60s back then and she was already a champion. I was shocked and figured if she could do it in her 60’s I could do it in my 20’s. Every other ranking women’s game that I played I won consistently.

How has the perception of snooker in India evolved since you started playing?
Many don’t even know that this sport was conceived in India in 1870s by the British. We can proudly say that India is the country that snooker originated from. Tamil Nadu can boast about this. From 2000 onwards, in some ways it has changed and is the same in some ways. It is still considered a rich man’s sport, while it is not. It is a very male-dominated sport. Very few women play as this sport is associated with a lot of vices. In films, they play snooker or pool without knowing what they’re playing but generally the villains do this. It’s always associated with unpleasantness in general. In my 25 years, I have never seen someone teaching or helping a woman play snooker, pool, or any cue sports. Evolution is quite slow in our area.

Who are your role models in the sport, and how have they influenced your game?
Kamala Chandra Babu is no more, but she was my inspiration. She is a two times nationalist, the first one in Tamil Nadu from this sports field. Besides that, I draw inspiration from everyone in this field, they can be beginners or professionals. If there’s anything special that inspires me, I always think it’s the most important as it makes me a better player and a better person.

Share your journey from your first snooker match to playing at a professional level.
I firmly believe that not only cue sports, pool, billiards, carrom, etc.; any sport really builds character in a person and teaches us a lot of things. Some we learn subconsciously and some consciously. So, the first time I lost in 2000 when I played the state rankings semi-final I was shattered. I don’t know why but maybe because I lost. But it was silly to blame myself as I was randomly playing and never had trained professionally. After I went home, my dad told me that there was a right way to do it. And he asked me to question if I had trained right and put in hours of practice and asked how I could expect to see results without putting in a lot of time and effort. After that, I got some help from a coach from Tamil Nadu, Nadim Ahmed. He has helped me tremendously in my performing years. He answered a lot of my questions, which back in the day a lot of coaches were unable to. Nadim patiently answered my questions and doubts and explained why we should play the right way not the way we want to. A way I help people from the next generation is by answering their questions as much as possible.

How do you prepare for high-stakes tournaments, both physically and mentally?
Failure teaches you that revenge does not help, say if you think you will beat a player as they have taken you out of a championship. Any negativity or bad emotions will not help you. I think the only thing that can get you through a tough match is preparation, discipline, and acceptance of whatever the outcome of the match is. A win and a loss are part of it. I won more tournaments when I thought I would lose rather than win. I had a calm, cool head and it helped me perform a lot better.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in a predominantly male-dominated sport?
I would like to see a woman being seen seriously. I feel sometimes sorry for the boys who don’t play cricket or any other sport for the Olympics. Playing a sport in our country is still not easy, as there is not much support from the government, the pay is not good. Fortunately, for all Tamil Nadu sportspeople, they are exceptionally lucky as there is a good sports minister. I cannot say the same for myself, as Karnataka has changed their policies and only one medal a year is considered for a cash award. It is very disappointing, yet I continue as a player. Sport is a difficult career in our country, especially for women. There were 200 men and I was the one woman amongst them when I started playing. It was also the place where men had access to alcohol and smoking was allowed back in the day. I wanted to change this mindset of the people and now I can walk in as I want to play. We still need to change the way we think as even my brothers who played sport were treated differently from me. If the boys played sports they would be taken seriously but on other hand, I would be seen as dabbling until I found my true calling. I think we need to change the mindset of people. Olympic and non-Olympic sports have chalk and cheese difference. If you’re expecting Olympic medals it has to be nothing short of gold. These mindsets have to change. Olympians are also paid more naturally.

Winning the World Women’s Snooker Team Championship in 2013 was a highlight. Can you share your emotions and preparation behind the victory?
Winning the World Women’s Snooker Team Championship, a doubles event and winning it was the first big title for the country in women’s snooker. What a great moment in 2013. My son was born in 2012 and I won this championship in 2013. I once thought I would not be able to do this, and that it was the end of my career. A lot of things changed, even mentally for me. I had only time for my son and my bodily changes made it so. My world revolved around my son. I planned for his day. Being a mother had added responsibilities.

In 2023, when I won the first ever snooker title for the country, I thought things would change, not for my fame, but for the sport. I trained all these years and made it through 6 world finals and at my 7th attempt I won the Gold, previously I had won only the Silver medals. I hoped if someone won the world title, the whole world would understand what snooker is, the country would celebrate. And I wouldn’t have to explain at the airport what snooker is. After 25 years, I am still explaining. I have seen players being celebrated when they came home after a championship. I waited one year for this to happen. I am grateful to Loyola College for their acknowledging and awarding me the sportsperson of the year, as it is the only award I got after winning the world title. My effort in cue sports was appreciated.

Which match or tournament do you consider the most memorable and why?
It would be cruel to answer the question as most tournaments are special and I make the most of all opportunities as we don’t know what tomorrow has in store for us.

What advice would you give aspiring women players?
Call me. I can speak to them and direct them on to the right person.

Your future plans?
The next big thing in cue ball is Hey Ball, it’s so fast and exciting and the prize money is the same as for men and it’s a fantastic way to excite players to join. Even for the spectators it’s thrilling with nail-biting finishes.