The final shot rolled across the green baize, steady and precise. Dhvaj Haria leaned back, eyes following the ball as it dropped into the pocket. The Melbourne crowd erupted, rising to their feet in applause. Across the table sat Peter Gilchrist, his former coach and a legend of the game.
Dhvaj walked over, extended his hand, and the two men shared a moment of mutual respect. The scoreboard read 1035–597. The 2025 Walter Lindrum Australian Open was his, and with it, his first-ever World Billiards League title.
For the world, this was a moment of triumph. But behind the applause and flashing cameras was a journey that had demanded years of sacrifice, self-doubt, and relentless perseverance. Few knew the challenges he had faced, or the mental transformation that had carried him from near-misses to this crowning victory.
This is the story of Dhvaj Haria, a boy from Ahmedabad who stepped into the world of cue sports with little more than curiosity and determination.
What began as a childhood diversion soon turned into a lifelong pursuit, leading him through years of struggle, discipline, and growth, until one day he stood tall as a world champion.
A Curious Start: The Boy Who Walked into an AC Room
Snooker was never a plan for Dhvaj Haria. In fact, he got introduced to the sport in one of the most peculiar manners. One summer in Ahmedabad, while his friends went off to regular sports coaching, he wandered into the Rajpath Club, more for comfort than curiosity.
The snooker room was air-conditioned, a rare relief from the heat, and that alone was reason enough to spend time there. Playing the game began as an escape from the sun. And slowly, without him ever realising it, it turned into something more.
What started as curiosity became commitment, and by the age of 16, he claimed his first major win—the Gujarat State Junior Championship. A boy who had walked in for the AC had unknowingly stepped into his destiny.
Growing Up in Cue Sports
Even after winning the state championship, billiards was just another game for Dhvaj. He was not really fascinated with the idea of making a career out of it. That was until he reached the nationals and got introduced to a whole different level of the sport.
Dhvaj said, “At the nationals, I witnessed the scale of the event, the crowd, the buzz—it showed me what was possible.” For the first time, he saw a system in place: a proper circuit, a clear pathway, and real opportunities
Hence, when he returned home, he made a switch to the Sports Club of Gujarat, because he now knew that’s where all the seasoned players were present. At the SCG, he found the right company in the form of top-level players like Geet Sethi and Rupesh Shah.
In their company, he could ask questions, clarify doubts, and observe how elite athletes approached practice. “That kind of proximity to excellence was both grounding and inspiring.”
Apart from that, the SCG also gave him access to his own dedicated table for practice during fixed time slots. This was the first time that Dhvaj was training in a space designed to nurture talent, and he was being treated like someone serious about the game.
The Mental Reset: How Stillness Sparked Success
Dhvaj made a smooth transition from junior to senior level. In fact, he even played a few games at the senior level while he was still in his final year of junior high school. This filled him with immense confidence. Yet, it took him some time to win a major seniors title.
For years, he toiled in the finals, losing even after taking a lead over his opponent. Somehow, things always slipped out of his control. The wins just never came when they mattered the most. “It was frustrating,” he admits. “I was doing everything I could, yet I kept falling short.”
The pandemic couldn’t have come at a better time for Dhvaj. While most athletes were struggling with uncertainties at the time, Dhvaj went back to the drawing board. “Luckily, I had a table at home,” he says. “So, I went back to the basics and tried to understand my strengths and weaknesses.” With no matches lined up, he had the luxury of time and a rare opportunity to reset.
While practising in the recesses of his own home, he came face to face with a critical truth: everyone uses the same cue, the same table, the same balls. What separates players is what goes on in their heads. So, he started training his mind. He hired a mental coach, practised visualisation, meditation, and worked on staying composed—especially during long waits between turns.
“I stopped focusing on results. I just wanted to bring out my best performance,” he says. He even avoided looking at the scoreboard, knowing it only invited pressure. Ahead of the 2025 final in Melbourne, he introduced a sport-specific fitness routine—targeting his shoulders, back, and legs to handle the game’s physical toll.
In the meantime, he also embraced the philosophy of his idol and mentor, Geet Sethi. The Khel Ratna winner asked him to play every game as if it were the last, leaving no room for complacency. “When you’re in the lead, don’t relax. Finish the job. Kill the opponent,” Geet Sethi had added.
That mental shift, from chasing results to trusting preparation, is what finally turned Dhvaj Haria from a finalist into a champion at the 2025 Walter Lindrum Australian Open.
The Final Push: From Coach to Challenger
The final between Dhvaj and Peter Gilchrist was a unique one as he was not just acing a top-ranked opponent—he was facing his former coach, Peter Gilchrist. There was familiarity, history, and mutual respect between the two, but that didn’t dilute Dhvaj’s focus. If anything, it made him more determined.
Yet, he insists that the semifinal against Rob Hall was equally crucial. And something that perhaps set up the stage for the final. “Rob Hall is a multi-time world champion. Beating him gave me the momentum and belief I needed,” Dhvaj explains.
In the final game, Dhvaj already had a hang of things. Having beaten Hall, he was calm and assured. Having visualised this game over and over, the table, the pressure, felt all familiar now.
“I didn’t treat it like a final. I treated it like any other game where I needed to stick to the right shots,” he says. The strategy worked. He played with intent, patience, and belief. And when the final shot dropped, the scoreboard read 1035–597 in his favour.
The Gratitude and the Message
As Dhvaj Haria reflects on his journey, he’s quick to credit the pillars that supported him along the way. From the Sports Authority of Gujarat and the Sports Authority of India, to his long-time sponsors at Indian Oil Corporation—who’ve stood by him since the age of 18—each played a vital role in shaping his career.
But his message goes beyond sport. “To every parent out there,” he says, “let your child explore. Support them, guide them, but don’t decide for them. Whether it’s sport or studies, they’ll find their way—just give them the freedom to choose it.”
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