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Billiard nationals
Sirisoma defeats Boteju to clinch his 16th national title
By M. Shamil Amit
Defending champion K.H. Sirisoma of SLPA defeated YMCA’s Henry Boteju in the final of the billiard nationals played at the headquarters of the Billiard and Snooker Association in Reid Avenue yesterday. This was Sirisoma’s 16th national title win having won the first national way back in 1985.

The four hour final played in two sessions was expected to be a close tussle between the two cueists as Boteju too is a former national champion having won it on nine occasions. But the defending champ never let loose as he kept the score moving and maintained the lead from the start. At the end of the first session of play it seemed to be a close game with Sirisoma in front with 473 and Boteju 414.

Sirisoma who made two century breaks both in the second session beside the two half century break he made in the first, began the second session with his first century break of 115 to increase his lead to over 200 points. It was too much for Boteju as he wilted under pressure. With ten minutes to the finish Sirisoma recorded his second century break with only two balls in the table.
This session gave Sirsioma 570 points for an overall of 1043 as against 354 to Boteju who made an overall score of 768. Sirisoma has only to win one more billiard national title to equal Sri Lanka’s billiard maestro and the first world champion of Sri Lanka M.J.M. Lafir’s record of 17 wins which is well within his reach.

Champion Sirisoma will receive the M.J.M. Lafir memorial trophy plus a cash award of Rs. 25,000/- presented by F&G Group the sponsors of the national billiards tournament at the prize giving scheduled to held on September 28.

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