‘My defeat was a reality check’

Away from the glamorous world of endorsements and arc lights, Pankaj Advani, the only Indian to win both the snooker and the billiards world titles, is one young sportsperson who is better known for his game. In the city for the IBSF World Billiards Championship, a title he previously won in 2005 and 2008, the 24-year-old talks about the lack of “marketing” for the sport he loves, in a cricket crazy nation like ours.
“Just the fact that all sports other than cricket are referred to as ‘other games’ is disheartening. It’s not right to criticise athletes, especially those provided with abject working conditions. No one takes any responsibility to find out if our game environment, equipment and other support systems are on par with the other sports they pit us against,” says Pankaj, who feels that these comparisons “don’t mean anything.”
“success can’t be measured by the number of endorsements you bag. consistency is the real yardstick,” he adds.
Pankaj feels that things can change for the sport only “if we think big”. “BCCI changed the face of cricket with the T20 format. Someone needs to do this for snooker and billiards too,” he adds.
Talking about his recent ouster from the IBSF World Snooker Championship held in the city, Pankaj said, “My competitor, Anthony Brabin, sprang quite a few surprises at me. I felt disappointed at losing initially, but you have to understand that successes and failures are two sides of the same coin. Also, it must not be taken for granted that I will win all the championships, try hard as I may. It was a reality check for me.”
Pankaj is currently working at bettering his game. “You have to practice passionately and consistently till the play becomes a natural part of you. In an ideal state, you must think of nothing. In my best games, things worked out without any deliberation on my part. The main competition in this game is against yourself,” says Pankaj, who practices for over four hours everyday, apart from following a rigorous fitness regime.
It’s however, not all work and no play for this world champion. After a gruelling five months, Pankaj is looking forward to some fun like any other 24-year-old. “I like to chill out by watching movies and listening to music learnt. Initially, it was hard for me to draw a line between work and play, but now I have learned the value of ‘me time’.”
Like any other young sportsperson, Pankaj Advani enjoys his fair share of female fan attention too. “In Vietnam, I met a fan who was looking for more than a friendly relationship. I was touched by her gifts, despite the fact that she came down with her ‘I Love You’ bag, all the way to the airport to see me off.”