While Sikdar was being given a tumultuous welcome in Calcutta, Ashok Shandilya quietly slipped home and celebrated the victory with his family.

Shandilya is a happy man, and why not? The billiards gold medals were expected. But for Shandilya, the moment to reckon was when he beat the player he admires most -- Geet Sethi.

``Once we got through the semi-finals, we were assured of the gold and silver. But I had that burning desire to defeat Geet because he is the ultimate player -- give him half a chance and he takes the match far away from you,'' said Shandilya while speaking to The Indian Express.

Shandilya said his most tense moment came in the eighth frame of the final when he led after a break of 80, up 4-3. Sethi had to make a big break and he did it in style, Shandilya says. ``I had the feeling of having wrapped up the match. But Geet came up with the mostamazing break I have ever seen in my life. You name the shot, he played it. Under pressure, he was playing like only he can do.''

After Sethi drew level at four frames all, Shandilya had the sinking feeling: ``I thought this would be like many of the matches I have lost after leading by a considerable margin. But the words of our coach, Michael Ferreira kept me going. I had to make a big break and notched an unfinished 99. I would term that as the best break I have played in my life.''

``I have to attribute this victory to Michael who kept telling us that Geet is the player to beat.'' Shandilya was the only player to beat Sethi in all the four camps prior to the Games.

According to Shandilya, Sethi was as much keen on winning the gold as any athlete in the Village. ``He has won six world titles but he sounded as keen as any other athlete in the village to win the gold. Now that I have won, I am very satisfied. This is my greatest achievement,'' said Shandilya.

Shandilya attributes the doubles victoryentirely to Sethi. ``He planned it out and I had just to execute the orders,'' he said. According to Shandilya, the only threat to India's dominance was to come from Thailand's C Praprut, who was offered a hefty prize for winning the gold. Thailand were so keen on winning the gold they employed the services of England's Peter Gilchrist to coach him.

Shandilya, who spent most of the time in Bangkok practising, nevertheless took time off to watch the India-Korea men's hockey league match and some tennis action.

A sports supervisor with Central Railway, Mumbai, Shandilya was hoping the state government would at least provide him with a house after his gold-winning performance. ``I am the only individual winner from the state apart from the hockey players of Mumbai. I hope I am given the recognition and so is the sport,'' he says.

Shandilya, who has missed out on two world amateur titles, had to bear his own expenses during the trip to Malta in 1997 when he lost to Joe Grech in the final after leading by600 points. His clearance from the government came on September 19, a day before the championships was to begin in Malta. ``Central Railway quickly cleared a loan of Rs 50,000 for the trip. I was expected to get back the expenses which amounted to Rs 1,10,000. But till date I am yet to receive any money from the government,'' he said ruefully.

Shandilya, who practices in the non-air conditioned room at Central Railway Parel Workshop is rueful no club has offered him practice time. ``I'm not so rich that I can afford memberships in places like Bombay Gymkhana or the CCI, but at least they should now consider giving me time to practice on their tables. If there is an air-conditioned room, I can put in eight to ten hours. I have to make do with just two hours now.''