Meet Bangalore's typewriter, who is a world champion in billiards.

"You can learn a lot from sports. Cue sport has primarily aided my personal development. I was the type of person who went through the motions and kept to myself. The game has taken me places today. I am much more self-assured and social now ", explains Revanna Umadevi. Once upon a time, an unfortunate child who had to discontinue her education and begin working too soon went on to become the world champion despite almost no initial support from her family. Her endurance and perseverance, regardless of her age or circumstances, earned her the title "Queen of Billiards." Let's find out more about this queen and her adventures in the world of cue sports.

Years of not-so-pleasant adolescence:

Umadevi was born on February 11, 1965, in Lalbagh, Bangalore, into a family of weavers. She began her education, but her dreams of higher education were dashed when she was forced to work in her father's Looms factory due to her unfortunate family circumstances. Umadevi, on the other hand, attended typing classes in the evening. Later, in 1989, at the age of 23, she began working as a typewriter at the Karnataka Horticulture Department. Her office was also in Lalbagh, and she would sometimes stay late at night in the office due to work demands. At the age of 29, she began playing snooker and table tennis during lunch hour at the Karnataka Government Secretariat Club. She'd sit and wait for her turn until the government employees who had begun playing before her had completed their game. One day, when she was waiting for her turn, her gaze was pulled to the green Billiards board. She took up the stick and directed it at the brightly coloured balls. Thus began her adventure into the world of billiards, and she quickly became a member of the Karnataka State Billiards Association, the "Mecca of Cue Sports." "I get up at 6.30 a.m. and make breakfast and lunch for my family." I get dressed and go to work like any other government employee. I practise before I leave for work in the morning and throughout my lunch break. Evening practises yield better results." Uma explains her daily routine.

Billiards - Her Full Disclosure:

She had had no help from her family in the beginning. Her family recognised her talent and passion for the sport when she won the championships. She claims that in 2010, her husband supported her to pursue her passion by financially assisting her in travelling to Syria to compete in the World Snooker Championship 2010. "I was supposed to compete in the World Snooker Championship 2010 in Syria, but financial constraints prevented me from doing so. I was unable to participate in the competition due to budgetary restrictions. My husband, BG Nagaraja, granted me the money to travel to Syria to compete in the Snooker World Championship at the time. I've been doing well in this sector since then." Uma expresses her gratitude to her husband, colleagues, and mentors for their unwavering support.

Her Career Best:

Umadevi is a well-known billiards player in India. By defeating Eva Palmius, the World No.13, during the London Championship in 2012, this three-time Indian national billiards champion became a World Women's billiards champion.

"My strategy when I lose a title is to practise even harder," she explains. In 2002, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2018, this motivated player was ranked No. 1 in the National Billiards Championships. In the National Snooker Championships in 2002, 2003, and 2004, she was ranked No. 2. In 2007, she was also a semi-finalist in the National Ladies Snooker Championship. In 2009, the Government of Karnataka presented her with the Ekalavya Award. In 2018, she received the "Nari Shakti Puraskar" from India's President, Ram Nath Kovind, and was named one of India's 30 Great Women of 2017.

According to Umadevi, any sport that is pursued with joy and respect is worthwhile. "With the grind of daily labour, sports or cultural events are crucial since they improve our minds and team spirit," she adds. Umadevi wants to encourage younger athletes to stay focused on their objectives. She wants to spread the word about billiards and snooker as professional sports so that more people can participate. May many others enter the field of cue sports and profit from the expertise of great players such as Uma.