Meet Anupama Ramachandran, Asian Women's Snooker Champion

22-year-old Anupama Ramachandran from Tamil Nadu claimed the women's snooker title at the Asian Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The snooker championship was held in the first week of July, after which she returned to Chennai with delight at her recent victory. Ramachandran was greeted warmly at the Chennai Airport with her maiden Asian snooker title in hand. 

Asian Snooker Championship 2024

Anupama finished at the top after beating her opponent Panchaya Channoi from Thailand with a score of  3-1. Countries including Iran, Hong Kong, and Thailand participated in the Asian Snooker Championship, among others. She told ANI that her silver-medal win last year was a big boost of confidence for her. She said, ''Last year, I won a silver medal at the IBSF six-star championship in Doha. It was a confidence boost for me because it was my first medal in a senior category.''

Alongside Anupama, who won her first Snooker title, Dhruv Sitwala secured his 3rd Asian Billiards title. 

Anupama Ramachandran's Career

Anupama Ramachandran's career began much before this recent victory. In 2018, she won Bronze at the World Under-16 Women's Snooker Championship as only a high schooler. She also won the highest break prize for scoring 42 points in the same tournament.

Before this dashing victory, she appeared in several international snooker championships as an adult, making her debut at the World Women's Snooker Tour in the World Cup event held in Thailand in 2023. Her premier appearance at the international event led to immense pride when she held the title in the team event alongside fellow countrywoman Amee Kamani. 

In 2023, she participated in the World Women’s Snooker Championship, reaching the last 16 on her maiden appearance, before going on to defeat two-time defending champion Ploychompoo Laokiatphong to win the World Women’s Under-21 title at the Hi-End Snooker Club, the World's Women Snooker website wrote. 

Her recent participations also include the UK Women’s Snooker Championship in September 2023 and the the Belgian Open this year.

Though she has represented the Indian flag at many world championships now, she has also not lost sight of regional pride. Born in Tamil Nadu, she completed her graduate degree from Chennai at the M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women earlier this year. She was also a flag bearer for the Tamil Nadu contingent at the opening ceremony of the 2023 National Games at Goa.

Surely, this recent victory is a brilliant milestone for an already flourishing career!