T he UK Carrom Club

UK Carrom Club. Examples from a busy playing circuit

Plenty of activity in the Carrom world since we got on the web. Thanks to all you callers and mailers.

Index

A BUSY MONTH
There was an all nite carrom contest played at Hartsdown High School in Margate. The school has one of the most serious followings from students aged 11-16. They have about 20 boards regularly in play at lunch times and other times. The all niter was a greta success: during the course of the evening some of the young players prevented a burglary of the school...simply by playing carrom and listening to the uninvited guests trying to break their way in to an already open school hall! organiser Peter Gruitt on 01795 477296.

EURO CARROM CUP
INTERNATIONAL CARROM FEDERATION CUP
These events are major world carrom events. They are took place at Luton University. OK, so Margate and Luton are not on the list of the world's most romantic venues, but it's the best we can do. The Feds. Events attracted the world's best carrom players. That means, essentially, the Indian team. They really are good. Our UK Carrom club national champion shares the same experience as many other European carrom players when meeting with these guys: if they make a mistake [rare] you get a shot. You miss, get one or two in maybe, then they clear up. It's hard work but superb to watch and something to emulate, perhaps after three or four years of serious practice.

Details of these events can be had from "The Accountant" Mr K K Sharma on 01582 584702.

UK CARROM CLUB NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
There is no bias when we say this really is the best carrom event you are ever likely to see in Europe. The reason being that it takes place in London's busy Covent Garden Piazza [now there IS a romantic venue] where among the bustling crowds nestle about fifty carrom players from all over UK, including the odd straggler from as far afield as Australia, Switzerland and wherever they might drift from. This event is fun to watch fun to take part in and exemplifies the attitude of the UK Carrom Club: play carrom well, if you can, doesn't matter if you can't make it up to the finals, taking part in this atmospheric contest was always reward enough.

Excellent players take part with not so goods and less goods in the early eliminator rounds. This way we get to know who is up to what standard, essential for a playing club that attracts so many new players every year. All players get a seeding once they have entered any UKCC event. This one is the most taxing event, players having to compete in timed games, knowing that they will have a long day's play ahead of them. After the eliminators come the knock out rounds while the non qualifiers play in their own knock out, always a popular event.

This has really been a great venue and a great number of contests have been won and lost with passion. Covent Garden has hosted the National since 1991 and the last one was played there in 1998 which was a really big affair. In 1999 no contest took place. Organiser Ram Chatlani has finally quit and is still looking for a replacement....he or she are both to arrive soon. in the meantime, we'll live on the memory and hope for the future.

LEAGUES
UK Carrom Leagues have been operational in Sussex, Croydon, Berkshire, Lincoln, Kent, Hereford, Bristol. Those are just the ones we know about.Leagues come and go. No reflection on the game, just on the committment of players and the demands of modern life. Many players play carrom in a league to learn and expand their skills. It's always a change form the usual movie, wine and women, although you can play and have the wine.....At present, November 1999, I can only vouch for the Sussex league! It is a long standing affair, a safe seat of carrom. Also, Covent Garden on Saturdays and Sundays, at the front of the Jubilee Market Hall, you'll always see carrom being played. All we ask is your enthusiasm! All leagues are open to all standards. Give us a call or an e-mail. If you know a good system for keeping players from different parts of the UK in touch and want to run it...let me know.

NEW LEAGUES
…are always being contemplated; people call and enquire about local leagues. If there is no local league UKCC will help you set one up, but, it does require certain things: you need to have a venue and players! Venue is usually no problem. Most towns have a pub, church or village hall that can be hired at small cost for an evening. Players is another matter. We have never had to advertise to find players but it is one way. The best method is to be brave. Find a partner and a good spot, either in a local shopping centre or a pub anywhere you think you are going to be exposed to lots of local people. Play carrom, in public. Within a few hours you will have collected a few players. Get in touch with UKCC once you have players and a venue and we'll tell you how to go about getting the boards required for your league. Basically, if you have 12 to 15 paid up UKCC members in your league then you'll get all the boards you need.

ABOUT THE FEDS
Read some of the history of the feds in KAROM REFLECTIONS, by Ram Chatlani [available on order from WHSmith and all booksellers, published by Trikon Press or direct from UKCC]. What's the update on the feds then and who are they?

Good question. Most of their players in the early days were Bengali. Bengalis have a solid carrom tradition in the UK and elsewhere. The feds are run by Rajastani Krishan Sharma, AKA "the Accountant". A mysterious man, he claims to be concerned with "the greater good of carrom". Essentially an administrator and fund raiser he is unquestionably the man for the job of fund raising for international events. The 1997 events was the second international he organised. The down side of the feds is that they lack players [perhaps twenty or so, but they are good] and lack communication devices other than "pass it on". Which is much the way carrom works. Thus, news is very much a grapevine,

SOME MYSTERY