Pankaj Advani is probably India’s least celebrated world champion. He has won 16 World titles, 12 of which are in billiards, and yet he does not get the same recognition as other Indian athletes.
Of course, billiards is not the most popular sport in India. But that doesn't change the fact that his achievements have gone criminally under the radar.
On Wednesday, Advani lamented on Twitter that perhaps he is a victim of his own dominance.
Earlier this week, the 31-year-old added yet another feather to his cap by beating Peter Gilchrist of Singapore in the summit clash in the Points Format of the IBSF World Billiards Championship at the Karnataka State Billiards Association.
Advani got the better of multiple world champion Gilchrist by six games to three in a tightly contested final. The Indian champion beat Gilchrist 151 (98)-33, 150 (97)-95, 124-150, 101 (98)-150 (89), 150 (87)-50, 152-37, 86 (86)-150, 151 (110)-104, 150 (88)-15.
When a Twitter user congratulated him on his victory, he made the mistake of saying it was his 11th World Billiards title. Advani, however, was quick to point out the mistake. Another Twitter user replied that when someone has won so many, it was difficult to keep a count.
The ace Indian cueist then observed how things were always taken for granted in this country. He also joked that maybe winning a medal every four years, like the Olympian athletes, would be more impactful.
Now, neither billiards nor snooker is an Olympic sport. Advani’s immense success in the sport has largely gone unnoticed amongst the average Indian people, while the success of Olympic athletes has attracted huge fanfare and media coverage.
While the likes of PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar and Sakshi Malik have become household names within a matter of a year, Pankaj Advani still remains in the shadows despite all his success. It’s high time we give the man his due recognition; not because he yearns it, but because he deserves it.
