People, Positions and Obituaries · 7 January 2026

Manoj Kothari passes away as former world billiards champion and India chief coach

Exam-focused facts from the 7 January 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • Manoj Kothari, former world billiards champion and current chief national coach, died following a massive cardiac arrest at a hospital in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
  • He won the IBSF World Billiards Championship in 1990 and the World Doubles Billiards Championship in 1997.
  • He served as chief coach of the Indian billiards team from 2011 for over a decade.
  • The Government of India conferred the Dhyan Chand Award on him in 2005 for lifetime achievement in sports.
  • He is survived by his wife, son Sourav Kothari—also a former world billiards champion—and daughter Shreya Kothari.

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