SmartSnooker

Olympian Hopes Held High In Pool

Though billiards have been a popular game for ages but it was really sad that billiard players could not make a hope for an Olympic medal because it was till 1996 that billiards as not recognized by the International Olympic Committee. But the first steps have been now accomplished because Billiards now enjoys an international oversight organization. Thus now Olympics and Pool share the bond which other sports too share the same bond with Olympics.

The good event happened in 1996 when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally granted recognition to the World Confederation of Billiard Sports (WCBS) as a pool and billiards overseer. All the three diverse sports of Cushions Billiards, Pool and Snooker are now linked to small or large measures to the World Confederation of Billiard Sports (WCBS) in almost 200 nations which is indeed a major step towards inaugurating the cue sport competition at the international stage of Olympics.

Why the billiards was not included in the Olympics arena before this step was taken in 1996. Well the first attempt was made in 1950 and since then there has been a constant effort to include this popular game into the ring of Olympics. But there were some three major obstacles to Olympics and Pool. The three major obstacles to Billiards are as follows:

1. The International recognition waited too long to recognize the cue skills as sports and not merely a game played by stick and ball. This time of recognition was thorough with many discussions and approvals and votes from different members and nations.

2. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally announced for an International Organization to prepare standards and coherence for the cue ball sports. In absence of such international standards of billiards they could not accept the cue skills under the Olympics arena and gave them recognition of an international sport. Perhaps the standards took long time to be set and when they were set the processing took further long time by the IOC and ultimately they were approved. Such a long procedure made it difficult for the billiards to make its Olympic dream come true. This is the long story of hindered of Olympics and Pool.

3. Though this won’t be a genuine cause of delay but there were speculations that the Americans would be able to dominate all medals if the Pocket Billiards or the Pool game is accepted in the Olympics. This is not written anywhere but there are biases throughout the world which are like open secrets and are never told. Such a biased approach might have the reason for which the Pool was long been deprived of its recognition.

Now hopes are high on Pool for the 2012 Olympics in London where the Pool would make a magnificent entry to an arena of sports where the whole world delights. Whatever the obstacles were it is good to see the game which millions like and enjoy now sharing the same platform which most of the sports share.