Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], August 20 (ANI): Ahmedabad is set to host the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships 2026 in October later this year, with athletes from 45 countries competing across five disciplines, as India emerges as a key growth market for cue sports.
The second edition of the Championships, following the inaugural event in Mauritius in 2025, will be held at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex and feature 10 medal events across 10-Ball, Heyball, Blackball, SnookerWPA and English Billiards, with separate men's and women's events.
The Championships will be held under the aegis of the Billiards & Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) and the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS), and organised by Apex Sports Promotion.
The event comes as Ahmedabad prepares to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, adding to the city's growing profile as an international sporting destination.
Speaking following his recent visit to India for the WPA Heyball World Championships in Pune, WPA President Ishaun Singh said India's strong cue sports heritage, growing interest and improving infrastructure make it an important market for the sport.
"India has a strong background in cue sports, especially snooker and billiards, and some of the biggest pool and snooker clubs are right here. There's clearly enough interest in the people, our promoters know the area well, and the facilities are excellent and very conducive for the sport," Singh told ANI.
Singh said the Commonwealth Championships would further strengthen the presence of international pool disciplines in India.
"This year, our second year, we've increased from four disciplines to five -- 10-Ball, Heyball, Blackball, Snooker, and now English Billiards, added largely because of the Indian population and market," he said.
The Ahmedabad edition has already attracted entries from 45 countries, with entries still open. Each Commonwealth country receives one guaranteed unranked entry, while the remaining places are drawn from the world rankings, bringing together a strong field of elite athletes.
The event will feature 16 athletes per gender in 10-Ball, Heyball, Blackball and Snooker, while English Billiards will have eight athletes per gender.
Singh said India has the potential to become a leading force in cue sports globally.
"I'm almost confident India will become the leading nation for cue sports. Our visits to the pool clubs, the interest of the people, everyone's excitement, and that's with only a handful of events so far. The future growth here is, in my opinion, guaranteed," he said.
He added that India's historical connection with cue sports gives the country an advantage in growing the sport.
"This is a sport that, as many people know, actually originated here, which makes it a lot easier to drive home with the public," Singh said.
The recent WPA Heyball World Championships in Pune, which carried a USD 400,000 prize fund, also gave the WPA valuable insights into India's potential as a market for pool disciplines.
Singh said major international events could also encourage greater commercial investment in the country.
"Big events drive commercial growth too; our equipment sponsors look for market share once these events happen. Already, after the Pune event, one of the major equipment brands was here looking at the Indian market," he said.
The WPA President also highlighted India's wider sporting ambitions, including its potential bid for the 2036 Olympic Games, and said the sport's growing presence in India could strengthen its case for future Olympic recognition.
"A huge part of our thinking is that India has an excellent chance of hosting in 2036 after Brisbane 2032, and Ahmedabad is, let's say, the favourite. So what WPA and the WCBS are doing is having as many events in India as possible," Singh said.
He also backed Indian athletes to make a stronger impact internationally as access to specialised tables and training improves.
"Talking to the Indian athletes, their glimpses showed exactly what talent they have. A lot of them haven't practised enough on the heyball table specifically, but their natural skill was enough to win matches and scare a lot of top-ranked players," he said. (ANI)
Ahmedabad set to host Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships in October: WPA President Ishaun Singh
