Mumbai: Former World Professional runner-up Devendra Joshi and Dhruv Sitwala, along with Asian Games gold medallist Ashok Shandilya, are some icon players who would represent different teams in the Videocon Billiards Premier League's inaugural season scheduled here from August 16-24.
Ten teams, purchased at a cost of Rs 1.25 lakh each for two seasons, would take part in the league to be held in six gymkhanas/clubs in Mumbai, it was announced at a media conference at Bombay Gymkhana here on Monday.
Except for Shivaji Park Gymkhana-owned SPG Billiards Punters, whose icon player would be Shandilya, the other nine teams are owned by former and current players, who feature on the domestic circuit.
The lone outstation player to be seen in action would be Dhvaj Haria, the junior India No.1 from Gujarat who has a home in the city and would play for SK's Kannon Masters while another icon player, UK-based Nalin Patel, has his roots here and would play for Tigers.
The other seven team names are: SP Young Guns, RK's 7, RRockets, Scorpions, MB's Shooters, WJ Genii and Race for Gold, The Team.
The six icon players would be paid Rs 15000 as appearance money by the Billiards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra, organisers of the league, said tournament director Derek Sippy.
The other icon players are Siddharth Parekh (RRockets) and Arun Agrawal (SP Young Guns).
"This cannot be compared to IPL or IBL or any other top league in other sports. It's a trial run for bigger things like Snooker League to come in February next," said Sippy, who will also be playing in the tournament.
Players have been given minus handicaps with the top players awarded -175 to make it an even playing field.
Each tie would consist of five matches, including doubles, and each match would be played over five frames with the team, comprising seven players, getting Rs 1,000 for each frame won.
The top four finishers would move into IPL-like qualifier-eliminator format to identify the finalists.
The winning team would receive Rs 1.25 lakh (to be split between team owners and players), runner-up would get Rs 90,000, while the third and fourth placed teams would pocket Rs 60,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively.
"The total cost for running this season's league is Rs ten lakh," said Sippy.
Going ahead, the team owners would be given first preference for not only retaining their teams' next season, but also for the planned snooker league which may even have international players.
A total of 45 matches would be held in the round robin phase leading to the two qualifiers, one eliminator and the final.
Matches would be held at Bombay Gymkhana, Cricket Club of India, National Sports Club of India, Matunga Gymkhana, P J Hindu Gymkhana and Shivaji Park Gymkhana.
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