Manoj Kothari reportedly suffered cardiac arrest to pass away aged 67
He rose to global prominence after winning IBSF World Billiards Championship in 1990
Was conferred the Dhyan Chand Award in 2005
Former world billiards champion Manoj Kothari, an influential figure in Indian cue sports, reportedly passed away on Monday (January 5, 2025) after a major cardiac arrest at a hospital in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. He was aged 67, and is survived by his wife and son Sourav Kothari, who is himself an ex-world billiards champ.
Manoj, who was the chief national coach, was being treated at a Tirunelveli hospital for over a week and suffered cardiac arrest around 7.30am, PTI quoted a family member as saying. His cremation took place on Monday evening near Tirunelveli.
Towering Legacy
Well before Sourav etched his name among India’s modern greats in cue sports, the foundations of that legacy were laid by Manoj, a towering personality in Indian billiards for over three decades. He rose to global prominence after winning the IBSF World Billiards Championship in 1990, a title that placed him in the pantheon of the sport and marked India’s growing stature on the world billiards map.
He added another major international title in 1997, when he won the World Doubles Billiards Championship. Post his playing career, Manoj played a pivotal role in shaping Indian cue sports as a coach and mentor.
He served as the chief coach of the Indian billiards team from 2011, a position he held for more than a decade, overseeing multiple world titles and guiding several generations of players through international competition. His influence was most visible in the career of Sourav, who grew up in a household steeped in cue sports.
Manoj acted as a technical coach, strategist and disciplinarian, helping mould his son into a composed, methodical player capable of succeeding on the world stage. In recognition of his noteworthy contribution to Indian sport, the Indian government conferred the Dhyan Chand Award on Manoj in 2005, one of the country’s highest honours for lifetime achievement in sports. The award was presented by then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Sourav said his father's impact extended far beyond titles and trophies. “His selfless service produced many players who went on to become champions of the sport. He was a living legend who inspired many lives,” Sourav was quoted as saying in the report. “We are returning tomorrow and there will be a mourning service in Kolkata.”
Sourav Kothari's Exploits
Sourav later emerged as one of India’s leading cueists over the past decade, carving out a distinguished career highlighted by multiple world and international titles. He won his maiden world crown in 2018, clinching the World Billiards title under the WBL banner, before adding the IBSF World Billiards Championship title in 2025, defeating multiple-time world champion Pankaj Advani in the final.
The Kolkata-based Sourav has also won the Asian Billiards Championship, multiple national titles and medals at major international events. Together, they form the only father-son world champion pairing in any sport, as per PTI.
(With PTI inputs)
