What makes Advani special?

So what makes the new World Professional billiards champion Pankaj Advani so special that there are fewer peaks left for him to conquer than any Indian cueist of any era? Talk to his friends and foes and you get the answers. For the record, besides being the World pro billiards champ, Advani is the only Indian to have won world amateur billiards as well as snooker titles and only the second in the world to do so besides Paul Mifsud. Om Agrawal is the only other world snooker champ from India (1984).

Geet Sethi, the only other Indian to win the billiards pro title (5 times), in an email message put Advani’s win in perspective. It’s a fantastic win. To beat Russell in England and that too in the final of the World Pro Championship is not easy. Pankaj has proved that he is indeed a great competitor,’’ stated Sethi who for the first time failed to reach the last eight of the world pro while Advani had not gone beyond the last eight in his previous two attempts.

                    Before Sethi it was Wilson Jones, Mike Ferreira and Satish Mohan who had wowed the world of billiards. Said Mike three-time world amateur champ and once World Open champ, about Advani, Russell is the best player postwar so you can imagine how important this feat is. Advani is a far better player than Paul Mifsud, the only other world double (snooker and billiards) champ. In billiards, Mifsud was not a great break builder. He would have runs of around 150. Pankaj hit a break of over 600 at last year’s trials. Again in snooker, Mifsud would make 80-90 breaks. Pankaj has scored over 130 more than half a dozen times.’’
The 2002 world amateur champ Ashok Shandilya, who is among those rare cueists to tame the might of Advani, hailed the latter’s achievement saying, to beat three players like Sethi, David Causier and Russell in one tournament and win it is something special. He is a special boy. Indian cricket needed a Tendulkar to revive it. Billiards has got Advani to revive it. Mike Ferreira brought money into the game, Sethi brought class and now we have Advani. He has learnt everything before time.’’

              Former Asian snooker champ, Yasin Merchant who has often been at the receiving end from Advani in snooker, says he is too mature at this age. He has commitment, dedication, discipline, a mature head on young shoulders. He is deserving of the title of King of World Billiards. He is sincere, knows what he wants in life. He may not have the flair of a Sethi or a Russell, but Pankaj is consistent and has such a temperament that he can hit back strong.’’

             So what are the peaks still left to conquer for Pankaj? Well, a thousand break in billiards. The dream maximum 147 in snooker (which Sethi is the only Indian to make in tournaments). And of course the professional snooker circuit. Pankaj has stayed away from it because it is UK-centric and gives a lot of advantage to European players. It is great to know that among Advani’s ambition is to be like Geet Sethi on and off the table.’’ Another example of the right priorities which Yasin was talking about.