KARACHI, June 21: The Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS) will raise the reinstatement issue of baize game into the 2014 Incheon Asian Games when the back to back meetings of Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Executive Board and General Assembly take place in Tokyo on July 14 and 15.

The sport has been dropped from the list of disciplines that will take place at 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

The baize game was part of the quadrennial games since it became a medal sport at Bangkok in 1998. However, after the launch of biennial Asian Indoor Games at Macau in 2007, the OCA gave option to ACBS to choose one of the two.

After deliberating upon the issue, the ACBS sought support from the National Olympic Committees (NOC’s) of the member nations and the majority recommended for Asiad as the sport came into its fold earlier.

“I seek your help in conveying the ACBS standpoint to the OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al Sabah and in trying to convince him to reinstate Billiards Sports into the 2014 Incheon Asian Games,” President ASCB, Sindhu Pulsirivong, said in a recent communication to secretary general of UAE Billiards and Snooker Association, Sultan Al Joakar, copies of which were send to ACBS Board members including Pakistan’s Asghar Valika.

Commenting on the issue, executive vice president of ACBS, Valika, told Dawn on Tuesday that the OCA had developed a feeling that Billiards Sports (snooker, billiards, pool and carom) were indoor games and should be part of Asian Indoor Games rather than Asian Games.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan had double pride at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998 when England-based Shoukat Ali fetched snooker singles gold and Valika was at the helm of affairs of the ACBS.

He said the ACBS has held several meetings at different forums urging the OCA not to change the status of Billiards Sports from Asian Games.

“The ACBS has many reasons to seek the support of the OCA in this regard, with the foremost being that our billiards sports players have excelled at all levels in the disciplines of snooker, billiards, pool and carom and the Asians needs to push for further recognition for the sport at even higher levels than the Asian Games rather than degrading it to Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games,” the President ACBS stated in his letter.

He said: “It is a well documented fact that players from China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Pakistan, and the Middle East performed brilliantly in international snooker while players from the Philippines and Chinese Taipei dominate world pool rankings. Similarly, the cueists from India rule the world billiards events and those from Korea, Japan and Vietnam are big names in carom world.

“The illustrious feats achieved by Asian players and presence of our top stars in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games can help ensure that the presence of Billiards Sports will open the door for profitable TV rights sales for the OCA and organising committee in major and diversified markets all over Asia,” he pointed out.

Sindhu said the ACBS Board has also decided to undertake the responsibility of providing required equipments — snooker/billiards, pool and carom tables, balls and cloths — for the 2014 Asian Games adding that at the conclusion the event the goods will be donated to the hosts to help them develop the sport further in Korea.