Ashok Shandilya Profile

Achievements:
Won two golds in billiards at the Asian Games held in Bangkok in December 1998

Ashok Shandilya is an Indian Billiards Player, and has brought various laurels to the nation, including two Gold Medals at the Asian Games.

Early Life & Domestic Billiards
He was born on the 30th of November 1968. Right since his early age, Ashok developed an interest for the sport of Billiards. After playing at various local and open tournaments, he made his debut into the National circuit in the year 1992 when he won the Indian National Billiards Championship. Further, Ashok again won the National Billiards Championship in the year 1994, while he finished a Runner Up in the tournament in 1997. In the year 2000 he was again able to clinch the coveted title, while he managed to finish at Rank 5 in the tournament held in the year 2007. The same year, Ashok finished as a Runner Up at the Kharagpur South Institute Invitational Billiards Championship, and reached the Top 16 level in the 74th Indian National Snooker Championship. In the year 2008, Ashok Shandilya finished as the Runner Up in the Yaseen Merchant classic Doubles Snooker Tournament in partnership with Devendra Joshi, and won the Fifth R.K. Gupta Memorial Billiards Tournament organized by the Alexander Club of Meerut, while he reached the Quarter Final round of the Fifth R.K. Gupta Memorial Snooker Tournament organized by the same club. He also reached the Pre Quarter Final round of the ASCA All India Invitation Snooker Championship held at Chennai. The same year, he stood at Rank 4 in the 75th Indian National Billiards Championship, and participated in the 75th Indian National Snooker Championship. In the year 2009 Ashok reached the Round 32 in the CCI Platinum Jubilee Snooker Championship.

Shandilya serves as an employee of the Central Railway, and has always been commended by the Railways of his extreme talent and prowess. Apart from the National circuit, he has also retained an equally impressive record in the Inter Railway circuit, and has emerged as a winner in a number of Inter Railway tournaments. He has grabbed eleven Gold Medals, seven Silver Medals and two Bronze Medals in the Inter Railway tournaments. It includes his victory at the Inter-Railway Cue Sports Championship of the year 2008.

International Billiards
Ashok made his debut into the arena of International Billiards in the year 1990, when he played at the IBSF World Billiards Championship, and finished Runner Up, reaching the Final Round in his first attempt itself. In the year 1998 he won two Gold Medals in the Bangkok Asian Games. In the Singles Final, he beat fellow Indian Billiards maestro Geet Sethi, while in the Doubles even he partnered with Geet Sethi to win a yet another Gold Medal. In the year 2002, Ashok became the World Champion, winning the IBSF World Billiards Short Format Championship. At the Doha Asian Games 2006, he won a Silver Medal in the Singles event, while in partnership with Geet Sethi, managed to clinch a Bronze Medal in the Doubles event. Ashok finished as a Runner Up in the IBSF World Billiards Championship (Point Format) 2007, while reached the Quarter Final Round of the IBSF World Billiards Championship (Time Format).

Awards & Honors
To commemorate his excellent performance in the sports of Snooker and Billiards, and his remarkable achievements at the International level, the Government of India honored Ashok Shandilya with the coveted Arjuna Award in the year 1997.