Sirisoma breaks Lafir's record in Billiards

By Leslie Fernando

BILLIARDS: The most experienced cueist from Sri Lanka Ports Authority Khobala Hewamawage Sirisoma rose to the occasion to establish a new Sri Lanka record by winning the 55th National Billiards Championship for the 17th consecutive time.

He broke former billiards maestro and world champion M. J. M. Lafir's long-standing record. Lafir had won the title for 16 years in-a-raw.

The 53-year-old Sirisoma, a supervisor Logistic Section of SLPA, defeated S. H. M. Aslam of Moors S. C. 6-2 in the final played on December 8 at the Billiards and Snooker Headquarters at Reid Avenue.

In the 11 frame encounter, Sirisoma played steadily and won the first two framer 101-89, 100-88. Aslam came back strongly to win the next two frames 101-92 and 100-80.

The defending champion Sirisoma, who first won his National Billiard Title in 1985, used all his experience and with Superb potting was able to win the other four frames with comfortable ease. 102/57, 101/63, 101/38, 100/25 to complete his record and won his 17th national title.

Sirisoma who started playing the cue game at the young age of 12 years at Jayantha Sports Club, Kochchikade, Colombo 13, said that he was very happy to Great M. J. M. Lafir's record. "I took keen interest in billiards after witnessing maestro Lafir playing at the World Championships at the Sri Lanka Army headquarters' tables at Galle Face.

"Since leaving Sri Palitha MV, Kotahena, I really got involved in the sport.

I loved billiards. I never had a coach, but watching former players at several tournaments and with regular practise on the green blaze regularly, I picked the art of shop-potting and controlling the ball perfectly and snookering".

He said that his first win was in 1979 at the Colombo District Billiards Tournament. Sirisoma had participated in all tournaments, from 1979. His major title was winning the National Snooker Championships in 1984 defeating M. Sethupathy.

In 1985, Sirisoma became National Billiards champion defeating Henry Boteju, M. Raibi, W. Weerasinghe playing on round-robin basis.

Sirisoma has represented Sri Lanka at several Asian Championships, World Championships and Invitation Tournaments in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malta, Singapore, Malaysia, Macau, Ireland, Australia, Iran and Qatar.

On two occasions he has reached the 'last eight' in the Asian Snooker Championships and World Snooker Championships held in 1987 and 1988 in Colombo and Malaysia respectively.

The champion in the table game - Sirisoma has also fared prominently and was placed 8th amongst world renowned cueists at the recently concluded Invitation Billiards Championship held in MACAU.

"I will continue to be in the game for few more years before I call it day said Sirisoma. Late A. S. H. M. Ashroff Minister of Ports, Late Wimal Amarasekera former Chairman gave me plenty of support to further my interest in Billiard. I am also grateful to Saliya Wickremasuriya Chairman SLPA, W. G. Samaratunga Managing Director SLPA, S. B. Weerasuriya, S. B. Weerasinghe Foreign Coordinating Officer SLPA, Patrick Oliver Fernando and P. J. M. Ameen for their encouragement and assistance to achieve success in the cue game.

K. H. Sirisoma has been employed at SLPA since 1981. He has represented Cine Club, Borella and Y. M. C. A., Colombo.