The profile of heyball in India is set for a major boost, with Pune set to host the $400,000 Apex Sports 3rd WPA Heyball World Championships this month, the richest cue sports event ever to be held in the country.
Heyball, also known as Chinese 8-ball, is one of the fastest-growing cue sports disciplines. With substantial prize money on offer, it has begun attracting a large and dedicated field of professional players.
“It is the highest prize money cue sports event to be held in India. I’m sure this tournament will do a lot for the popularity of heyball in the country. This is probably the first time, in any sport in India, that men and women will compete for equal prize money,” said Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) president S. Balasubramaniam.
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Players from 37 countries will compete in the four-day tournament, which begins at the Jairaj Sports & Convention Centre on August 12.
The championship will feature 64 players each in the men’s and women’s categories. India will field 20 players, comprising 10 men and 10 women, including one junior entrant in each section.
“This is the investment stage, where we are investing in a sport with tremendous potential. Heyball is more marketable than billiards and snooker,” said Shivam Arora, founder and CEO of Apex Sports.
Apex Sports has been appointed by the BSFI as the organiser and commercial rights holder for the World Pool Association event.
Published on Aug 06, 2026
