Kolkata: Former world billiards champion Manoj Kothari passed away on Monday following a massive cardiac arrest at a hospital in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, a family member told PTI.

He was 67 and is survived by his wife and son, Sourav Kothari.

Based in Kolkata, Kothari had undergone a liver transplant 10 days ago at Kauvery Hospital in Tirunelveli, over 600 km from Chennai.

A family member said, "Surgery was successful and, he was sitting and talking on the third day. But he had a lung infection a few days back, and this morning at 7.30 am, he succumbed to a massive cardiac arrest."

Kothari had won the World Billiards Championship title in 1990 and was widely regarded as one of India’s finest cue sports players.

His son, Sourav Kothari, is also a former world billiards champion, having clinched the title in 2025 under the mentorship of his father.