Pankaj Advani relied on experience

India`s ace cueist Pankaj Advani. Pic/Getty Images

Cueist Pankaj Advani credited his experience for his defence of the Asian Snooker Championship after defeating Amir Sarkhosh of Iran in Doha on Thursday. In the best-of-eleven final, Advani registered a 6-3 win over Sarkhosh. This was Advani's first tournament in almost two years due to Covid-19. The Bangalore-based cueist had won the title in 2019 before the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the global pandemic. Advani's tally of Asian titles across both snooker and billiards now stands at 11, apart from the two Asian Games golds of 2006 and 2010.

Talking about his win over Sarkhosh, Advani told www.mid-day.com: "Yes, it feels awesome to win my first international [title] in two years because of the long gap due to the pandemic. I didn't know what to expect from myself or the competitors, but at the end I relied on my experience to take me through." Just a day after winning the Asian Snooker title, the prince of the green baize got back to business as he is representing the country at the IBSF 6-Red Snooker World Cup, which began on Friday in Doha. While celebrations with the family can wait until he returns home, Advani said he did enjoy an Indian meal in Doha with his teammates. "The whole [Indian] contingent was invited by the Indian Sports Centre at a hotel to have dinner and celebrate. They honoured us and we got to eat yummy Indian food," said Advani.

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Like most people including athletes across the globe, a lesson that Covid-19 taught Advani is not taking things for granted. "The lockdown made me realise how we take things for granted and how easily things can slip away. I'm just grateful for the opportunity to represent my country and compete in a sport I love. Winning was a bonus! After so many years of travelling, a little break couldn't hurt. Little did we know how long this [pandemic] is going to last. I watched movies, shows, spent more time with family and practised when the lockdowns were lifted. The hunger increased due to the long break we all had. With this pandemic, nobody knows what the future has in store for us. Every day brings new challenges and living in the present has always worked for me," he explained.

Meanwhile, on the personal front Advani had a great start to the year as he tied the knot with celebrity makeup artist Saniya Shadadpuri in Mumbai this January. He said life is interesting post marriage. "Life is more happening after marriage. Responsibilities have increased and there's so much to look forward to. I love having a companion by my side whom I can share all my highs and lows with. Saniya understands my routine and preparation for championships so I'm still devoting a lot of time to my game. We both travelled a lot [post lockdown one and two]. Life's actually interesting now, both personally and professionally," he signed off.

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