When Mahfuz Kabir returned to Bangladesh from the USA a decade ago, he brought back a dream along with him: to promote billiards in cricket-crazy Bangladesh.
But it wasn’t a cakewalk for him. He waited more than five years for his dream to take the first step to fulfilment.
In 2018, he started the club, Breakers Pool and Snooker, to pursue this dream in Dhaka’s Uttara. Under this club, Mahfuz organized around 40 pool and snooker events in the last four years. And during this period, Breakers Pool and Snooker became a common destination for billiards lovers in Uttara.
He and his friends brought many people to BPS to play billiards. Many youths of Uttara now spend their time busy on the billiards board instead of wasting time chatting or roaming the streets.
“Billiards is not just a sport; it’s a form of entertainment too,” Mahfuz, the club’s managing director, said in a recent interview with UNB. “Our only aim is to promote this beautiful sport in Bangladesh.”
Before returning to Bangladesh, Mahfuz played billiards in the USA for a long time. That experience has inspired him to promote the game in Bangladesh. He believes if the youth of Bangladesh get the taste of billiards, it will be among the most popular indoor sports in the country.
Read more: BPL 2023: Mahmudullah in Barishal, Mushfiqur in Sylhet
“We received a great response from billiards lovers for our latest event,” Mahfuz said. “We will host more events in the future. I believe this sport has good prospects in Bangladesh.”
In the second week of this November, Breakers Pool and Snooker organized an event called Breakers 10-Ball Scotch Doubles Pool Tournament 2022. A total of 44 billiard players participated in this event, and the final match took place on the evening of November 20.
The team of Muhibul Hasna Rifat and Nuruzzaman Nayeem won the event, while the team of Shosi and Hasan ended as the runners-up.
“It was a great billiards event,” Muhibul said to UNB. “Right before the Covid-19 pandemic hit Bangladesh, I participated in the World Championship. But during Covid-19, it was not possible to play. After a long break, I played this event and won it.”
Muhibul added that if this event occurs regularly, Bangladesh will get many brilliant billiards players. He also hopes to participate in the World Championship if the national body of billiards takes the necessary steps.
Read more: Bangladesh Cricket League One-dayers: South Zone, North Zone win 2nd round matches
Salman Mahmud Jisan, a student of business studies, found his love for billiards when he visited the club in recent years. He participated in a billiards event for the first time and said he would be happy to participate again when an event comes up.
“It was an amazing experience to play a billiards event,” Salman said to UNB. “When I first came to this club, I watched others play. Then one time, I started playing too. I still can’t play very well, but I’m improving.”
He also said that he is a regular visitor to the club now.
Not just Salman, a good number of visitors often come to Breakers Pool and Snooker every evening, and to whom billiards is a lovely game only for a few years or maybe months.
“I often see new faces here,” said Mahfuz, the managing director. “I believe more people will get to know the beauty of this game in the coming days.”
Participants of Breakers 10-Ball Scotch Doubles Pool Tournament 2022:
Pantho, Mahadi, Darras, Mahfuz, Tutul, Plabon, Doc, Tanvir, Anik, Tahfim, Firoze, Sani, Hasan, Shoshi, Adnan, Pavel, Sadik, Jishan, Rossy, Fahim, Riyasat, Nahiyan, Nafi, Tasniya, F Rabbi, Jishan, Sujon, Bishal, Nayeem, Rifat, Rashed Kabir, Shaon, Istiaque, Sabab, Rashed Khan, Rafi, Tanvir A T, Bishal, Noyon, Sadi, Zunayed, Anzum, Foysal and Kawsar
Source: United News of Bangladesh