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14-time amateur IBSF World Billiards Champion Pankaj Advani spoke to Sportskeeda recently, where he discussed the significance of the shorter formats of any sport. Advani believes that the public interest in billiards and snooker would increase if there is a more concise format televised, just like T20 cricket.
In an exclusive chat with Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda's Facebook page, Pankaj Advani talked about India's cue sports' future. The 35-year-old from Maharashtra has made a name for himself with his extraordinary performances globally.
However, since the sport is not followed so much in India, he feels a need to televise shorter formats of billiards and snooker.
If the IPL didn't happen, even cricket would have probably stagnated: Pankaj Advani
When asked about the snooker and billiards' evolution, Pankaj Advani exemplified cricket and said that the sport might have struggled for TRPs if there was no IPL or T20 cricket.
"Back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the formats were a little long. I guess people had more time. There were not too many forms of entertainment. Over the years, people's attention span has become shorter and shorter, and even a sport like cricket had to go the T20 way. If the IPL did not happen, even cricket would have probably stagnated in terms of TRPs and stuff," Pankaj Advani said.
Advani further continued that like every other sport, even cuethe sports had undergone changes in the format. Advani believed that the shortened versions of cue sports could be packaged well and televised to attract youngsters.
"The way the game is played has changed, and you have to be a little more alert. You have to start off quickly, and that's why because of the short formats, you will see a lot more upsets, but people like to see that," he added.
Pankaj Advani concluded by saying that seeing the same players or teams make it to the top in sports did not interest the fans. Hence, the introduction of short formats will increase the competition level and the interest level in any sport.
