World billiards, snooker champion Pankaj Advani gears up for double challenge

Sixteen-time world champion in billiards and snooker cuiest, Pankaj Advani is gearing up for a new challenge as he prepares to play back-to-back in both formats at the IBSF World Championships in Doha.

Talking about the new challenge where Advani will play billiards from November 9 to 15) and snooker from November 17 to 25, the Arjuna awardee said: "I have played both within a gap of a day or two at the National Championships, but I will be doing it for the first time at the world level. I know that it is not going to be easy, but I will give my best."

"I haven't played a tournament for almost two months. I went on a holiday in September. In October, I trained both in billiards and snooker. If I was playing snooker in the morning, then I would play billiards in the evening and vice versa. With billiards being the first event in Doha, I will opt to train in billiards," Advani told mid-day on the sidelines of the launch of his personal mobile application yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Bangalore-based cueist said that he is happy to see sporting leagues blossom in the country, but felt it is important to maintain the traditional format of the sport. "It is nice to see various leagues come up. They have given many athletes a livelihood. I feel the leagues are modelled to make it viewer-friendly. But it's essential to have a healthy mix of both and it is important to preserve the traditional formats of all sports."