The Hindu : Sport : Advani is Asia's best

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Sunday, Feb 27, 2005

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Advani is Asia's best

By Avinash Nair

PERFECT PANKAJ: Pankaj Advani, the winner of the Asian billiards championship. — Photo: G.P. Sampath Kumar

PUNE, FEB. 26. Pankaj Advani, the teen sensation from Bangalore turned on a superlative display this afternoon at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana's Convention Hall here on Saturday. And the 5-0 rout that he inflicted on a hapless Praput Chaithansukul of Thailand landed Pankaj his maiden Asian billiards championship crown, in its fourth edition. The 100-64, 100-32, 100-0, 100-0, 101-51 verdict could easily be the biggest margin, in a best of nine game final.

Playing his second final and having lost to Ashok Shandilya at Bangalore in 2002, there was a sense of trepidation at the start.

But all that changed once Pankaj took his stance and found his fluency right from the first game.

There was very little that the Thai, a former World champion, could do as Pankaj began to accumulate points with absolute mastery at the table.

The former IBSF snooker champion, Pankaj, is adept at both forms, snooker and billiards, of the cue sport. In snooker, the 19-year-old won three titles at both the Mumbai (2005) and Jammu (2003) Nationals, except the senior snooker.

At Gwalior (2004) Alok Kumar had won a double. Pankaj had then promised to concentrate on both the events equally. And today the youngster proved that he has done his homework well.

Feeling confident

Pankaj attributed his success in this championship to the confidence that he gained after beating the defending champion Devendra Joshi in the quarterfinals.

From then on there was no stopping him. Kyaw Oo in the semifinals was no shakes and the final turned out to be a rout.

Praput, who was made to sit in the corner rueing his missed chances the few times that he came to the table, termed the bad miss in the first game when he messed up a straight `red' pot to be the turning point in the match, for his concentration took a beating.

Pankaj, on his part, went about his task, despite the lights blinking a couple of times, with ease with an unfinished 90 for the first game at 100-64.

Praput missed an in-off in the second game too and Pankaj came up with a 63 to close the game. The following two games were blanks for Praput as Pankaj had an unfinished 81 and 94 and the one-sided contest saw many leave the hall.

Though Praput did try to make the most of the time at the table in the fifth game with a 41, the miss with a canon proved costly.

Pankaj threaded an unfinished 77 to clinch the match, to thundering applause. Pankaj pocketed $2,500 for his effort while Praput was richer by $1300. Pankaj's mentor Arvind Savur was overwhelmed by his protégé's win and shed tears of joy.

Geet Sethi claimed top honours in an innovative speed billiards, introduced by the organisers and event management group Clea Public Relations, with 261 points and pocketed Rs. 25,000.

Pankaj finished with 243 points and second place and Rs. 15,000. Vignesh Sanghvi, with 90 points, won the rookie award (Rs 20,000).

The result (final): Pankaj Advani (Ind) bt Praput C. (Thai) 5-0 (100-64, 100-32, 100-0, 100-0, 101-51).

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