World carrom champion S. Appoorwa looks to extend her reign

Two-time world carrom champion S. Appoorwa is preparing for the next edition of the World Championship even as uncertainty looms over the event.

Two-time world carrom champion S Appoorwa training at home in Hyderabad.

Two-time world carrom champion, S. Appoorwa, might well join ace shuttler P.V. Sindhu in getting an extension of her reign as the world champion!

The 38-year-old star performer won the 2016 World carrom championship in Birmingham and is now actually preparing for the next edition in Malaysia this September.

Now, with the COVID-19 threat sweeping across the world, the World championship too might well be cancelled, according to a senior official of the All India Carrom Federation.

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“I am not sure what is going to happen about the Worlds. But, I have been preparing sincerely before this lockdown forced me to stay indoors. Everything looks grim around the world and sports, obviously, cannot be a priority,” said Appoorwa in a chat with Sportstar on Monday.

“Fortunately, unlike other athletes we carrom players are least affected in terms of training as all that we require is a carrom board and not even a partner too,” she said with a big smile. “I have been doing daily single practice for one hour and my husband (Kishore) tries his skills on the board occasionally."

“The biggest problem sometimes can be boredom which can be tiring mentally. So, we have to find ways to avoid that and stay fit,” said the LIC Administrative Officer.

What is the advice to the young players? “I believe this is the best phase when they can learn a lot watching videos as now most of the National and International events are available on You Tube channel,” felt Appoorwa.

For someone who was the first world champion in any discipline from Hyderabad, she feels that winning the Senior National women’s title this February was one of the best moments for she had to wait for more than two decades to realise her dream.

The modest two-time world champion said that she loves to pick a few new things watching even young talent show their skills on the carrom board.

And, Appoorwa is in no mood to call it quits. “Fortunately, age is no bar in my sport and I will continue playing as long as I enjoy,” signed off the champion performer with an appeal to everyone to stay indoors to help the government to fight the virus.