The Hindu : Sport : Advani keeps date with billiards gold

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Wednesday, Dec 06, 2006
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Sport

Advani keeps date with billiards gold

Kamesh Srinivasan

Ashok Shandilya takes the silver medal

— Photo: AP

COMPLETE SWAY: India's Pankaj Advani and Ashok Shandilya made it a memorable day for India.

DOHA: World billiards champion Pankaj Advani kept his date with the gold medal in the Asian Games at the Al-Sadd Sports Club here on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old from Bangalore, who had also won the World snooker championship in 2003 in China, raced to the crown as he beat compatriot Ashok Shandilya, the former World champion and gold medallist in the 1998 Asian Games, 76-101, 101-40, 100-0, 100-32.

It was the second gold medal for India after Koneru Humpy won the women's chess title and that took India's collection to two gold, five silver and three bronze medals.

Second century

"There are no words to express how I feel about winning. It was very good for India to get the gold and silver. I am glad that I got the gold'', said Advani, who cracked his second century of the day, an unfinished 100 in the third game to go up 2-1. He later sealed the match with a fluent 83.

"I missed in the second frame. On a 40-point break, I missed a red pot. It was the turning point of the match'', said the 38-year-old Shandilya who was not at all fluent in the final.

Shandilya was gracious in defeat and gave credit to Advani for his excellent game and the will to win.

Pankaj had outplayed Aung San Oo of Myanmar in the semifinals after losing the first game. On way, he recorded the first century break of the singles competition. Ashok was equally impressive in his triumph over two-time World champion, Englishman Peter Gilchrist, representing Singapore.

The results (final): Pankaj Advani bt Ashok Shandilya 76-101, 101-40, 100-0, 100-32; Third place: Peter Gilchrist (Sin) bt Aung San Oo (Mya) 100-76, 102-11; 56-100, 100-15; Semifinals: Pankaj Advani bt Aung San Oo 95-100, 100-19, 100-20, 100-3; Ashok Shandilya bt Peter Gilchrist 100-80, 101-33, 100-22.