Geet Sethi
Encyclopedia
Geet Siriram Sethi
(born April 17, 1961) of India
is a professional player of English billiards
who dominated the sport throughout much of the 1990s, and a notable amateur (ex-pro) snooker
player. He is a six-time winner of the professional-level and a three-time winner of the amateur World Championships, and holder of two world records, in English billiards. He, along with Prakash Padukone
, have co-founded Olympic Gold Quest
which is a Foundation for the Promotion of Sports in India.
in Punjabi family and growing up in Ahmedabad, Sethi won his first major English billiards event in 1982, the Indian National Billiards Championship (an international event despite its name), defeating Michael Ferreira
, and later went on to win the NBC again four years in a row, 1985–1988, and made a comeback in both 1997 and 1998 to reclaim the title.
He rose to international prominence by winning the IBSF World Amateur Billiards Championships in 1985, versus Bob Marshall in an eight-hour-long final round. In 1987, he again won the IBSF event, as well as the ACBS Asian Billiards Championship He won another World Amateur Billiards title 2001, despite having previously played as a pro by that date.
Sethi also took the Indian National Snooker Championships four times back to back, in the same 1985–1988 span as his national English billiards streak. In the 1989 event, held at Guntur
, Andhra Pradesh
, though he did not take the title, he did achieve the world's first amateur maximum break of 147 in official competition. He has never placed in the top snooker world rankings
, however. Sethi is the only Indian in the history of cue-sports to have scored a maximum (147) in competitive snooker and a 1000+ break in competitive billiards.
In the 1992 World Professional Billiards Championship
, Sethi constructed a world-record English billiards of 1276 under the three-pot rule, also the highest break in five decades) and won first place. He went on to win the title again in 1993, 1995, 1998, and 2006.
In the 2006 event, in Prestatyn, Wales, he defeated David Causier in the quarter final, and defending World Pro Champion Chris Shutt in the semi-final. He won the title round 2073–1057 (average per 34.3 vs. 17.0) in a timed five-hour final against Lee Lagan (who had previously beaten him 6 to 5 at the untimed 2003 IBSF Amateur World Championship). After running two in the first hour, Sethi led by 150, increased this to 427 with two more centuries by the end of the first of the two , and followed it up with a of 238 ; meanwhile Langan only managed two centuries in the first session and one in the second.. When the time ran out, Sethi had just reached a double century again, at 206, and had been poised to continue the break.
He has been described as an "arch-rival" of Mike Russell of England
, also an eight-time English billiards World Champion, and each of them had defeated the other for the title, with Russell victorious in 1996, and Sethi the winner in 1998, as of their next encounter at the 2007 event. They both scored two triple centuries apiece in the semi-finals, but Russell kocked Sethi out of the running, 1835–1231 (65.5 vs. 45.6 average); Russell eventually won the title, for his ninth World crown.
Sethi won gold and silver medals in doubles and singles English billiards respectively at the 13th Asian Games
(1998, Bangkok, Thailand). He also won silver and bronze medals in doubles and singles English billiards respectively at he 14th Asian Games
(2002, Busan, South Korea). At the 15th Asian Games
(2006, Doha, Quatar), he took bronze medal in English billiards (men's doubles with Ashok Harishankar Shandilya).
He has announced plans to compete in the Olympic Games
for India when cue sports are finally admitted as Olympic sports
(long in-progress between the World Confederation of Billiard Sports
and the International Olympic Committee
).
Sethi's professional management agents, TNQ Sponsorship, comment that he "has been focussing[sic] on the sport with renewed enthusiasm" and "seems to be peaking at the right time".
for 1992–1993; both the Padma Shri
and the Arjuna Award
in 1986; and the K.K. Birla Award
, 1993.
from the BK School of Business Management, and is an alumnus of St. Xavier's High School
and St. Xavier’s College in Ahmedabad
.
In 2005 he authored an autobiographical motivational
book called Success vs Joy.
, committed to supporting Indian sportspersons with Olympic medal-winning potential.
Sethi
Sethi is a common Khukhrain surname among Punjabi people. Sethis are found in Punjab, India and Pakistan and are mainly Hindus, Sikhs-Etymology:...
(born April 17, 1961) of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
is a professional player of English billiards
English billiards
English billiards, called simply billiards in many former British colonies and in Great Britain where it originated, is a hybrid form of carom and pocket billiards played on a billiard table. Billiards is less well known as "the English game", "the all-in game" and "the common game".The game is for...
who dominated the sport throughout much of the 1990s, and a notable amateur (ex-pro) snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player. He is a six-time winner of the professional-level and a three-time winner of the amateur World Championships, and holder of two world records, in English billiards. He, along with Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone is a former badminton player from Karnataka, India. Among other championships, he won the All England Championship and became the first Indian to do so. Prakash was awarded the Padma Sri in 1982...
, have co-founded Olympic Gold Quest
Olympic Gold Quest
Olympic Gold Quest is a program of the Foundation Of Sports And Games , started by Indian sporting icons Geet Sethi and Prakash Padukone to identify and support Indian athletes with a proven track record and who have the potential to win Olympic gold medals...
which is a Foundation for the Promotion of Sports in India.
Career
Born in DelhiDelhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
in Punjabi family and growing up in Ahmedabad, Sethi won his first major English billiards event in 1982, the Indian National Billiards Championship (an international event despite its name), defeating Michael Ferreira
Michael Ferreira
Michael Ferreira , nicknamed "the Bombay Tiger", is notable amateur player of English billiards from India, and a three-time Amateur World Champion...
, and later went on to win the NBC again four years in a row, 1985–1988, and made a comeback in both 1997 and 1998 to reclaim the title.
He rose to international prominence by winning the IBSF World Amateur Billiards Championships in 1985, versus Bob Marshall in an eight-hour-long final round. In 1987, he again won the IBSF event, as well as the ACBS Asian Billiards Championship He won another World Amateur Billiards title 2001, despite having previously played as a pro by that date.
Sethi also took the Indian National Snooker Championships four times back to back, in the same 1985–1988 span as his national English billiards streak. In the 1989 event, held at Guntur
Guntur
Guntur , is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the national capital, New Delhi and south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, though he did not take the title, he did achieve the world's first amateur maximum break of 147 in official competition. He has never placed in the top snooker world rankings
Snooker world rankings
The snooker world rankings are the official system of ranking professional snooker players to determine automatic qualification and seeding for tournaments on the World Snooker Tour. They are maintained by the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association...
, however. Sethi is the only Indian in the history of cue-sports to have scored a maximum (147) in competitive snooker and a 1000+ break in competitive billiards.
In the 1992 World Professional Billiards Championship
World Professional Billiards Championship
The World Billiards Championship is an international cue sports tournament in the discipline of English billiards. It has been played annually since 1980, is one of the oldest sporting World Championships in the world, dating in earnest to the mid-19th century...
, Sethi constructed a world-record English billiards of 1276 under the three-pot rule, also the highest break in five decades) and won first place. He went on to win the title again in 1993, 1995, 1998, and 2006.
In the 2006 event, in Prestatyn, Wales, he defeated David Causier in the quarter final, and defending World Pro Champion Chris Shutt in the semi-final. He won the title round 2073–1057 (average per 34.3 vs. 17.0) in a timed five-hour final against Lee Lagan (who had previously beaten him 6 to 5 at the untimed 2003 IBSF Amateur World Championship). After running two in the first hour, Sethi led by 150, increased this to 427 with two more centuries by the end of the first of the two , and followed it up with a of 238 ; meanwhile Langan only managed two centuries in the first session and one in the second.. When the time ran out, Sethi had just reached a double century again, at 206, and had been poised to continue the break.
He has been described as an "arch-rival" of Mike Russell of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, also an eight-time English billiards World Champion, and each of them had defeated the other for the title, with Russell victorious in 1996, and Sethi the winner in 1998, as of their next encounter at the 2007 event. They both scored two triple centuries apiece in the semi-finals, but Russell kocked Sethi out of the running, 1835–1231 (65.5 vs. 45.6 average); Russell eventually won the title, for his ninth World crown.
Sethi won gold and silver medals in doubles and singles English billiards respectively at the 13th Asian Games
1998 Asian Games
The 13th Asian Games were held from December 6 to December 20, 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first time that Thailand bid for the event after it shouldered the two postponed hosting rights in 1970 and 1978.-Emblem:...
(1998, Bangkok, Thailand). He also won silver and bronze medals in doubles and singles English billiards respectively at he 14th Asian Games
2002 Asian Games
The 2002 Asian Games, also known as XIV Asiad is a multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Busan is the second city, after Seoul in 1986 to host the Games. A total of 419 events in 38 sports were contested by 7,711 athletes from 44 countries...
(2002, Busan, South Korea). At the 15th Asian Games
Cue sports at the 2006 Asian Games
The cue sports of snooker, English billiards, and three-cushion carom for men, as well as eight-ball and nine-ball pool for both men and women, were contested at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar from December 4 to December 11...
(2006, Doha, Quatar), he took bronze medal in English billiards (men's doubles with Ashok Harishankar Shandilya).
He has announced plans to compete in the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
for India when cue sports are finally admitted as Olympic sports
Olympic sports
Olympic sports, as defined by the International Olympic Committee, are all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Summer Olympics, as of 2012, will include 26 sports, with two additionall sports due to be added in 2016...
(long in-progress between the World Confederation of Billiard Sports
World Confederation of Billiard Sports
The World Confederation of Billiard Sports is the international umbrella organization encompassing the major cue sports , including carom billiards, pool games of several varieties, and snooker. The confederation is relatively new, having been founded in 1992...
and the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
).
Sethi's professional management agents, TNQ Sponsorship, comment that he "has been focussing[sic] on the sport with renewed enthusiasm" and "seems to be peaking at the right time".
World Professional Billiards Championship results
- 1992: Won (beat Mike Russell, 2529–718)
- 1993: Won (beat Mike Russell, 2139–1140)
- 1994: Semi-finalist (lost to Peter Gilchrist, 916-1312)
- 1995: Won (beat Devendra Joshi, 1661–931)
- 1996: Runner-up (lost to Mike Russell, 1848–2534)
- 1997: Event was not held
- 1998: Won (beat Mike Russell, 1400–1015)
- 1999:
- 2000: Event was not held
- 2001: Quarter-finalist
- 2002: Semi-finalist (lost to Peter Gilchrist, 851–1767)
- 2003: Lost in the group stage
- 2004: Quarter-finalist (lost to David Causier, 722–971)
- 2006: Won (beat England's Lee Lagan, 2073–1057)
- 2007: Semi-finalist (lost to Mike Russell, 1231–1835)
- 2008: Runner-up (lost to Mike Russell, 1342–1821)
Titles
- World Professional Billiards Champion: 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2006
- World Amateur Billiards Champion: 1985, 1987, 2001
- Gold Medallist, 13th Asian Games, Bangkok 1998
- Asian Billiards Champion: 1987
- National Billiards Champion: 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1997, 1998
- National Snooker Champion: 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988
Awards and recognition
A major sporting hero in India, he is a recipient of India's highest sporting award, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel RatnaRajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports. The words "Khel Ratna" literally mean "Sports Gem" in Hindi. The award is named after the late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. It carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a substantial cash...
for 1992–1993; both the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
and the Arjuna Award
Arjuna award
The Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961 by the government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of 500,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll....
in 1986; and the K.K. Birla Award
K. K. Birla Foundation
The K.K. Birla Foundation was established in 1991 by Krishna Kumar Birla. Its mission is to promote literature and the arts, as well as education and social work...
, 1993.
Personal life
Sethi still lives in Ahmedabad, with his wife Kiran and their two children, Jazz and Raag. In addition to billiards competitions, Sethi also runs a private travel agency in Ahmedabad and Mumbai called Raag Travels. Sethi has an MBAMaster of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from the BK School of Business Management, and is an alumnus of St. Xavier's High School
St. Xavier's High School Loyola Hall
St. Xavier's High School, Loyola Hall is an English-Gujarati medium primary and secondary school located at Navrangpura in Ahmedabad, India. The school is spread over a site of about 4 acres .-History:...
and St. Xavier’s College in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
.
In 2005 he authored an autobiographical motivational
Self-help
Self-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders...
book called Success vs Joy.
Current Ventures
Currently he is promoting a venture called Olympic Gold QuestOlympic Gold Quest
Olympic Gold Quest is a program of the Foundation Of Sports And Games , started by Indian sporting icons Geet Sethi and Prakash Padukone to identify and support Indian athletes with a proven track record and who have the potential to win Olympic gold medals...
, committed to supporting Indian sportspersons with Olympic medal-winning potential.