Pankaj Advani hungry for more titles

Bengaluru: It’s number 14 and counting! And there seems to be no stopping Bengaluru’s golden boy who continues to dominate the green baize, pocketing another world title, the second in a month.

It was another glorious Sunday, when India’s most successful cueist added another feather to his cap, winning the IBSF World Billiards Championship. Pankaj Advani clinched his 14th world title in style, demolishing Singapore’s Peter Gilchrist by 1168 points in the time format in Adelaide.

With an insatiable appetite for titles, the 30-year-old. Advani is hungry for more. “Winning a double last year and these two wins this year is like going through the great dream for me. When you have the right people around you who are so positive and supportive at every turn and step it becomes easier to achieve your goals,” said the country’s champion cueist.

“Prior to the match Devendra Joshi gave me a call and his belief that I would be able to win and come out on top yet again really made a lot of difference. When people around you have so much faith, your thirst to win increases,” said the humble Bengalurean.

Advani was in roaring form in the final as he was not only keen to defend his time format world title, but was looking to avenge his loss in the point format to the same opponent a week earlier.

“I feel every time I go into a tournament there is the pressure of performing, to excel. Added to the fact that I’m the top seed I have the constant endeavour to keep improving. I’m glad I am consistent and I’m doing well in a sport I want to excel in.

“The pressure is always there. Especially, since I didn’t get the desired result in the previous match (final). I was determined to overcome that. His (Gilchrist) abilities and his skill is unparalleled and having lost the earlier match I was ready from the word go. The fact that it was another final and that I had to win this time around worked as an added motivation for me,” said Advani.

“Heading into the match I thought more than necessary about the loss and I needed to tone that down prior to the match. You can’t always win every match. More often one fails to get their desired result. So the only thing that helps is being positive and determined,” said the Arjuna awardee.

Having won his first world title back in 2003, Advani has come a long way waltzing into the league of legends with each triumph. While each win has been special for the cueist, it has been different at the same time. “Winning the first world title and the 14th are two different phases of my career. Both gave me equal happiness but the situation was very different,” he said.