She’s just 12 years old, but in between thinking about school and Taylor Swift, Tanvee “Lilac Tiger” Vallem is training to be a professional pool player. The Bethesda middle-schooler entered her first billiards tournament only five weeks after she began playing pool in 2022. This past June, she won first place in the 14-and-under division at the Connecticut State Junior Pool Championships. And later this month, she’ll compete with girls 19 and under at the Predator WPA Junior World Championships in Gandia, Spain, representing India, her native country.

Tanvee says she loves the strategy of the game. She also has a competitive streak.

“One of the best things that motivated me when I started pool was to beat my dad,” she says.

When her father, Sree Vallem, brought home a pool table in the

See Full Page