Hyderabad’s Tanvee set to become youngest player to compete in World Junior 9 Ball Championship

Tanvee has been invited by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) in conjunction with the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) to represent India in the tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, a media release said.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s nine-year-old Tanvee Vallem set to become the youngest player to compete in the Predator World Junior 9 Ball Championship when the event kicks off on Monday.

Tanvee, who was born in Hyderabad and now living in Maryland in the United States, has been invited by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) in conjunction with the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) to represent India in the tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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She is the only player to represent India in the junior girls category and will be facing stiff competition as the average age of the other players in the category is 15 years. Tanvee has competed in her maiden international event – SVB Junior Open in October, organised by Matchroom Pool for ages under-17. She had finished joint 33rd.

The Grade III student, who picked up the sport seven months ago, impressed everyone in the nine ball tournament. Tanvee has been training for the last seven months with coach Roy Pastor of Billiards Education Foundation. “There are very few master coaches and one of them is in Boston. He saw her skills and started coaching her. Since we live in New Jersey and the academy is in Boston, she is currently taking online training,” said Veeresh, Tanvee’s father.

Tanvee trains hard everyday and is inspired by current nine-ball world champion Shane Van Boening and wants to emulate him. However, pool games are not the only ones she likes. She is also a green belt holder in taekwondo and learns kuchipudi from Lavanya Thamire from Kalanidhi Dance.