Penniless Susantha taking part in Snooker World Championships in Latvia

Exactly 40 years after the legendary M.J.M. Lafir won Sri Lanka’s first world title at the World Amateur Billiards Championship, the Sunday Times learns that a national champion of the cue sport has been pushed down to the extent of running around with a begging bowl in search of funds for the World Snooker Championships in Latvia.

It is learned that the Billiards and Snooker Association of Sri Lanka (BSASL) officials have been duly informed of the event in advance but they had failed to generate any sort of assistance for the player. According to Susantha Boteju, the only Sri Lanka participant at the World Snooker Championship, he had obtained the visa and the air ticket to Latvia but had flown with only US$ 50 in his pocket. His pleads and attempts to meet powerful political figures to get a financial supports were futile.

According to close associ- ates of the 16-time Sri Lanka Snooker champion, Boteju was busy during the last seven days running from one of- fice to another of ministers and politicians until hours before his flight, but all his pleads have gone unheard or deliberately ignored.

A totally dejected Boteju said hours prior to his departure on Tuesday told the Sunday Times “I don’t know what to expect but I know it is not going to be pleasant. I just have US$ 50 with me and after so many attempts I failed to collect at least a cent even as donation. I have the ticket and the visa to Latvia and I just fly there with the hope that my friends from other countries will assist me, if things worsen. The least or worst that could happen to me is getting kicked out”.

According to the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (ISBF) website Boteju is competing from Group ‘R’ and have already lost two of the matches he played by Friday. He has three more group round matches to complete. All attempts to contact any official from BSASL on this development were futile.