For the first time in the history for cue sports in the city, record prize money in excess of Rs. three lakh will be offered as total prize money at the snooker championship.
In addition the winners will also be awarded the championship trophies.
This tournament is expected to generate tremendous interest amongst cueists from the city, said Poona Club Sports Committee Chairman Rajeev Raut.
A fine blend of Asian and national junior and senior cueists including former world champion Geet Sethi, Pankaj Advani, twice Asian Champion and last year's winner Yasin Merchant will lead the 16 member pack for the prestigious Invitational Snooker Championship.
Tournament Director Shantilal Sanghvi said that, apart from the trio, former Asian snooker champion Alok Kumar, current Asian Games bronze medallist Roopesh Shah, 2003 Asian Billiards Champion Devendra Joshi, Asian games bronze medalist Aditya Mehta, Manan Chandra, Saurav Kothari, Kamal Chawla, Brijesh Damani and Lucky Watnani will be prominent among those to be seen in action.
The Invitational winner will receive the winner's prize money of Rs 1,00,000, the runner up will get Rs 50,000. The semi finalists will receive 25000 each and the four quarter finalist will pocket Rs 10000 each.
The four finalists of the Open title will receive Rs 7,500 and a wild card into the invitational tournament.
Rajan Khivansara, MD of `Manisha Constructions' and Vice President of the Billiards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra, said that the prize money has been increased to attract the cream of the country's cueists.
"It has been our endeavor to bring the leading players in the country to play in this prestigious invitational tournament," Khivansara added.
A total of 125 cueists will be seen in action in the Open championship. Niraj Kumar of Bihar and Sandeep Gupta of Delhi have been given top seeding in the PCL-Manisha Construction Open Championship.
The tournament is being conducted in accordance with International standards.
The final of Invitational Snooker meet will be contested on June 12, 2008, Shantilal Sanghvi, PCL Billiards Department secretary said.