Pankaj Advani
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2014
Dec 31 2014
The Bengaluru cueist's decision to give up his professional card at the start of the season to strike a balance between snooker and billiards saw him annex an unprecedented four World titles. Beginning with the World 6-red snooker title in Egypt in July, the 29-year-old Advani seemed to make up for lost time in billiards he played the pro snooker tour for two years by winning the inaugural World Team Billiards Championship in Glasgow. He signed off with a brilliant double at the World Championship at Leeds in October, the third time he had achieved the feat.
2015
The Times of India, May 9, 2015
Having roughed it out with the best in the professional snooker world for two years, Pankaj Advani's decision -soon after winning the IBSF World 6-red snooker championship in June -to give up his tour card last July seemed a right one. For, having missed playing billiards during the time he spent in England, the Bengaluru sensation appeared to make up for lost time with a clutch of World titles. In a brilliant three month period between August and October, the ace cueist won the World Team Billiards Championship in Glasgow and the World Professional Billiards Championship in both the time and points format in Leeds to end 2014 with an amazing four World titles in all.
2015: Adelaide, 14th World title
The Times of India, Sep 28 2015
Fab 14 for `baize king' Advani
Pankaj Advani, the poster boy o Indian cue sports, seemed to reserve his bes for the last. The 30-year-old Indian, with a brilliant exhibition of top-table billiards, felled his challenger, Peter Gilchrist, for his 14th World title in the IBSF World Billiards Cham pionship in Adelaide. The Bengaluru cueist, who suffered a re verse against the same opponent in the final of the points format (150-up) a few days ago, floored the tall Singporean with a barrage of breaks for a lopsided 2408-1240 victory in the five-hour final to make it a memorable treble for India.
2017
Bags 17th world title
November Advani bags world title No. 17 in Doha, November 13, 2017: The Times of India
Green baize baron Pankaj Advani seems to reserve his best for last. In brilliant touch, the ace Indian cueist outclassed the formidable Mike Russell of England 6-2 in the final to retain to his 150-up World title in the IBSF World Billiards Championships at the Al-Arabu Sports Complex in Doha, Qatar.
This was the 32-year-old Bengalurean’s world title No.
Wins IBSF World Championship
In-form Advani clinches World snooker crown, November 28, 2017: The Times of India
Playing some of his best snooker in recent times, India’s in-form Pankaj Advani outclassed Iran’s Amir Sarkhosh 8-2 to annex the IBSF World Snooker Championship crown at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha.
Two weeks after winning his World billiards title and without much time to switch to the snooker mode, the 32-yearold Bengalurean made light of the lack of preparation en route to his world title No. 18.
Advani got off to a slow start — in the championship where only the non-professionals take part — as Sarkhosh came into the best-of-15 frame title clash all guns blazing and looked set to take the second as well before an error on the green gave Advani an opportunity.
Needing no second invitation, the multiple world champion levelled scores, and playing percentage snooker, took the next three frames as well for a 4-1lead.
The Iranian came up with a flowing 134 break in the sixth frame to stay within striking distance of the former champion. But the ace Indian cueist came back in fine fashion to take a 5-2 lead after the first session.
Thereafter, it was Advani all the way. He never gave his Iranian opponent any look-in, making capital when he had the chance and resorting to safety when he lost position. Advani took the sixth with runs of 45 and 41.
Playing under tremendous pressure, errors crept into the Iranian cueist’s game. Advani was not complaining, he took the generous offering with glee. One such in the ninth frame saw the Indian rifle in a frame-clinching break of 77 to move closer to the title.
2018
Advani amasses 20th world title
November 15, 2018: Hindustan Times
Ace cueist Pankaj Advani won his third straight IBSF billiards crown in the 150-up format in Yangon, taking his overall tally of world titles to a staggering 20. The 33-year-old from Bengaluru overcame Nay Thway Oo of Myanmar in a high-quality final. After bossing the '150-up' format, Advani will now compete in the longer version, ‘Up’ format, commences immediately.
Ninth National billiards title
R Satya, Advani pockets ninth National billiards title, January 16, 2018: The Times of India
From: R Satya, Advani pockets ninth National billiards title, January 16, 2018: The Times of India
Homeboy Pankaj Advani seemed to have reserved his best for the last as he decimated first-time finalist Dhvaj Haria 5-0 en route to his ninth National billiards crown in the 85th edition of the premier championship here on Monday. Barring a couple of chances he gave his young rival in the fifth frame of the best-ofnine finale, Advani was in a different league. In his first maiden senior title at home, he treated the big crowd to a brilliant exhibition of billiards.
The green baize baron, owner of 13 world billiards titles, became the first cueist to win the Nationals without dropping a frame since the points format was introduced in 2008. Another Karnataka cueist, TA Selvaraj, was the first to have won the snooker title without dropping a frame six decades ago.
Retains Asian Billiards Championships title
March 25, 2018; The Times of India
Pankaj Advani defended his Asian Billiards Championships title in style by demolishing his practice partner B Bhaskar 6-1 in the summit clash here. With this win, Advani remains the reigning Indian, Asian and world champion in billiards for 2017-18. India's Amee Kamani won the Asian Women's Snooker title by blanking her Thai opponent Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan 3-0.
…and three days later his 21st
Advani completes a grand double, November 19, 2018: The Times of India
Cuesports Ace Extends Tally Of World Titles To 21
Green baize baron Pankaj Advani added the longer format title to the points format crown he won a couple of days back in the IBSF World Billiards Championships at Yangon, Myanmar, to take his world title count to a mind-boggling No. 21.
In a lopsided title clash, Advani outclassed his Bengaluru city-mate and sparring partner B Bhaskar 1500-299 for a record fourth double in his career. Advani reduced his rival, a two-time Asian silver medallist and a World Championship bronze medallist, to a mere spectator. “I’m felling on top of the world after my fourth grand double in billiards,” said an elated Advani. “It was the toughest field with the likes of Bhaskar, Causier and Russell in it and to come out on top is simply unreal. I’m really thrilled to win my 21st world championship gold and am now looking forward to defending my snooker title over the next 10 days here,” he added.
Advani, who gave up his professional snooker card a few years ago to play both billiards and snooker, has been dominating the IBSF circuit in both disciplines and raking up titles with consummate ease.
Most knew which way the final was headed from the start as Advani rifled in a sizzling break of 190 on his first visit following a poor opening by Bhaskar. Breaks flowed from his cue with regularity as further runs of 171, 86, 92 and 134 in quick succession had Bhaskar glued to his chair. He fired another flowing 198 to open up a huge lead.
When Pankaj crossed the thousand mark in the first-to-1500 final, Bhaskar was languishing at 206. The 800-point deficit proved to be a tall order for Bhaskar to bridge. The long periods off the table began to take a toll on him as he couldn’t come up with anything substantial when he got a chance.
That suited Advani fine as there was no let-up in intensity as he constructed a 165, 66 and 89 to lay his hands on the crown. Bhaskar could manage only a 64 and 58 in the entire match.
Results (Final): Pankaj Advani bt B Bhaskar 1500 (190, 171, 86, 92, 66, 134, 62, 198, 165, 66, 89) -299 (64, 58).
2019
Wins 9th national snooker title
Advani wins 9th national snooker title, February 11, 2019: The Times of India
Ace cueist Pankaj Advani claimed yet another senior National snooker title with a thumping win over young Laxman Rawat in a one-sided final here. Advani annexed the national title taking his total tally of Indian championships to a whopping 32 golds.
After winning 11 Indian titles as a junior, Advani, as a senior, has won nine billiards, three sixred snooker and now nine snooker gold medals. From a statistical point of view, Advani now has 21 world titles and 21 national titles as a men's player, in both snooker and billiards.
Advani took his younger opponent Rawat to the cleaners with a 6-0 win in the final. The match was mostly defined by the champion's experience as he brought on a lethal combination of scoring and safety of the highest quality.
