India's cue sports stars ready for Commonwealth Championships in Ahmedabad

India's finest cue sports talent will take centre stage in Ahmedabad this October as the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships come to India for the first time, with a 18-member Indian squad named for the second edition of the prestigious multi-discipline event.

The Championships will be held from 7 to 10 October 2026 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, bringing together cueists from approximately 46 Commonwealth nations across English Billiards, Snooker, 10-Ball Pool, Heyball and Blackball.

Organised by Apex Sports Promotion and hosted by the Billiards & Snooker Federation of India (BSFI), under the endorsement of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS) and Commonwealth Sport, the Championships are a landmark occasion for Indian cue sports and form a centrepiece of the BSFI's centenary celebrations.

India will enter the Championships with confidence after winning five medals at the inaugural edition in Mauritius in 2025, including gold for Vidya Pillai in Women's Heyball and silver medals for Shivam Arora in Men's Heyball and Chitra Magimairaj in Women's 10-Ball Pool.

All three medallists have earned direct entries into this year's Championships and will return with ambitions of adding to their medal tally on home soil.

Among India's leading medal hopes is Vidya Pillai, the reigning Commonwealth Women's Heyball champion, who produced a dramatic shootout victory over South Africa's Marina Jacobs to win gold in Mauritius last year. One of India's most accomplished cueists, Pillai will now have the opportunity to defend her Commonwealth title in front of a home crowd.

Shivam Arora, who claimed silver in the Men's Heyball competition in Mauritius, will also return to the Commonwealth stage after pushing Uganda's Ceaser Chandiga all the way in a thrilling final. Arora will be looking to go one step further in Ahmedabad and convert his previous silver into gold.

Speaking ahead of the Championships, Pillai said, “Winning the first Commonwealth title was a very special moment for me, but defending it in India makes this edition even more meaningful. To have a tournament of this scale come to Ahmedabad and play in front of our own supporters is something we are all looking forward to. We know the competition will be strong, with players coming from across the Commonwealth, but having the home crowd behind us can give us that extra push. I am excited to be back at the Commonwealth Championships and hopefully give everyone at home something to celebrate.”

Arora said, “The silver medal in Mauritius gave me a lot of confidence, but it also left me wanting more. Playing the Commonwealth Championships in India, and particularly in Ahmedabad, gives us a completely different feeling. We know the level of competition will be high, but we have been preparing with the goal of competing for the top step of the podium. Hosting an international championship of this scale is a big moment for cue sports in India, and we want to make the most of the opportunity.”

The Indian squad also features a strong mix of established international performers and emerging talent.

Among the women's contingent, Anupama Ramachandran, the reigning IBSF Women's World Snooker champion, will lead India's English Billiards challenge alongside Revanna Umadevi, while Keerthana Pandian, the 2026 Asian Women's Snooker champion, will spearhead the country's campaign in Snooker alongside Shruthi Lakshminarayanan and Ishika Shah.

Chitra Magimairaj, a two-time World Ladies English Billiards champion and Commonwealth Women's 10-Ball Pool silver medallist, returns to the competition alongside Amee Kamani and 10-Ball Pool teammate Neena Praveen, while teenage talent Natasha Chethan adds further firepower to India's women's squad in Blackball.

The men's team features experienced campaigners including Siddharth Parikh, Laxman Rawat and Sundeep Gulati, alongside young talent Rayaan Razmi and Paras Gupta. Rawat arrives in Ahmedabad in strong form after a notable run at the 2026 WPA Heyball World Championships in Pune, and will be joined in Snooker by Aditya Mehta. Divya Sharma rounds out the men's 10-Ball Pool challenge.

The Championships will feature 10 medal sets across men's and women's competition, with Billiards making its debut on the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships programme this year.

INDIA'S 18-MEMBER SQUAD

Men

• Billiards: Siddharth Parikh, Rayaan Razmi

• Snooker: Laxman Rawat, Aditya Mehta

• Heyball: Shivam Arora (Direct Entry), Paras Gupta

• 10-Ball Pool: Divya Sharma

• Blackball: Sundeep Gulati

Women

• Billiards: Anupama Ramachandran, Revanna Umadevi

• Snooker: Keerthana Pandian, Shruthi Lakshminarayanan, Ishika Shah

• Heyball: Vidya Pillai (Direct Entry), Amee Kamani

• 10-Ball Pool: Chitra Magimairaj (Direct Entry), Neena Praveen

• Blackball: Natasha Chethan