For most, not too long ago, there were solid years spent at a pool club, playing a game or two, while hanging out with friends. The pool scene in Bangladesh suddenly burst into our lives during the early years of this decade, and sadly, seems to have lost most of its charm today. The obsession with the game has disappeared. Ironically, kids in Bangladesh still play pool, just on their smartphones now. While it isn’t completely at a standstill, the interest in pool clubs seems to be wavering a lot. The industry is almost at the brink of death. Here’s an insight into the current situation of the pool or billiards scene in Bangladesh, and why it is failing rapidly.
MentalityIt’s no surprise that once something becomes popular, everyone follows suit to stay on par with the new trend. Pool clubs in Bangladesh faced the same fate, it was once known to only a certain part of the urban population. Since it gained widespread popularity in Bangladesh, people started coming in, all sorts of people. The problem being, there are times when certain parts of the population don’t mix, they just cannot get along with one another. Since mentalities never seemed to match, the more sensible minded players just stopped visiting these clubs, and just stopped playing pool.
EntertainmentFor most, playing pool is a way out, a chance to pause the hectic city life, and just have fun. Pool clubs are supposed to be a form of entertainment, and entertainment only. Quite miserably though, the wrong kind of crowds got involved with pool clubs that sparked numerous illicit activities like smoking and drinking. Bringing these into the mix automatically restricts playtime for school going teenagers, who are of course, underage. These teens were once a huge source of income for the pool clubs. And as soon as alcohol was brought into the mix, most of the teenage craze simmered down.
GamblingOnce the popularity of pool clubs reached its peak, it started to draw attention from unwanted people. These people being heavy gamblers, literally scared most of the customers away. All these wannabe hustlers try to bet big on each and every game they play, and tend to get rough once they are owed money. Unwanted attention seems to have made people edgier. After all, who wants to lose money and get threatened for their lives when all they actually wanted was to relax and have fun with their friends?
AdvertisingFor strange and unknown reasons, all pool clubs in Bangladesh have opted to be inconspicuous. Not only do they not advertise, most are located in places where no one would think to look twice, let alone figure out what the place actually was. Most have very small signboards above them that are barely noticeable. Apart from being discreet about their location, pool clubs never seem to advertise on social media or any physical sources. For some bizarre reason, owners are happy with the business they are getting. Lack of advertising is bound to affect the business; maybe pool clubs just don’t want to draw unwanted attention. Perhaps that's the reason for all the cloak and dagger.
LocationIn the capital, certain pool zones will have you believe that the industry is still thriving, albeit in certain locations. Pool clubs in Dhanmondi, Gulshan, and Banani generally seem to generate a lot of good buzz, and are always full. You’d be hard pressed to find a free table there on weekends. What these pool clubs have over all the rest are the people, the players themselves. Unlike the rest, players in certain locations tend to gel quite easily, and usually find it easier to make new friends to socialise and play with.
MisinterpretationEven though many teens may crave the occasional cue ball, the restrictions imposed by their families turn out to be problematic. Most parents think that pool clubs are generally portrayed as a place of addiction. While this may be true in some cases, most pool clubs are usually family friendly. Yes, pool zones may become smoking zones at times, but are never a hub for illegal substances.
AlternativesLet’s face it, the main reason for people visiting pool clubs in the first place was to hang out with friends; playing pool just was an added bonus. Today however, there are ample places to hang with friends, with sheesha lounges being the first to come to mind. That, coupled with cheap restaurants have seriously hurt the pool scene in Bangladesh.
Lack of awarenessIn the Bangladeshi perspective at least, pool is yet to be classified as a professional sport. Most people see it as a form of leisure, a way to pass the time. Rarely are there tournaments held to promote the players, and even if they are, they lack proper marketing and advertising. This undoubtedly hurts the pool industry in Bangladesh a lot. If people are not properly aware of its existence, how are they expected to participate?
