Pankaj Advani

Pankaj Arjan Advani born 24 July 1985 in Pune, is an Indian Billiards and Snooker player. A winner of seven World Titles in Billiards and Snooker, he is considered to be the one of the best Billiards Player India has produced. In 2005, he set a world record by becoming the first player to complete a grand double by winning both the points format as well as the time format titles in the IBSF World Billiards championship, Malta.For his commendable performance as a Billiards and Snooker player, and his invaluable contribution to the nation through the laurels he brought home he has been honoured with a number of prestigious awards, having been bestowed the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour, in 2009, The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, which was conferred on him in 2006 and the Arjuna Award in 2004.

Pankaj made his debut at the Asian Billiards Championship 2002, held at Bangalore where he finished as a finalist. Thereafter, he went on to win the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Snooker Championship 2003 in China at the age of 18 years. He also won the IBSF World Billiards Championship in 2005 at Qawra, Malta. He is the only Indian to have won the world title in both snooker and billiards and only the second cueist after Malta's Paul Mifsud to have won both the billiards and snooker world titles. In the same year, he achieved a "grand double" by winning both the points and timed formats at the IBSF World Billiards Championships 2005, and he repeated the same feat at the 2008 Championships held in Bangalore.

He is also the youngest Asian to have won the IBSF titles for a record six times. Pankaj Advani also remains the only person to have won all 5 Billiards tournaments in a season, a feat he achieved by winning the Junior National Championship, Senior National Championship, Asian Billiards Championship, World Billiards Championship (point format) and World Billiards Championship (time format).

Pankaj Advani won his first world professional championship title in 2009. He won the World Professional Billiards title held at Leeds in 2009, registering a comprehensive win against the defending and nine-time champion Mike Russell. Advani beat the defending champion 2030-1253 after having an 800-plus lead at the break. He became the second Indian to win the title after Geet Sethi.The following year, compatriot Dhruv Sitwala defeated defending champion Pankaj Advani in the quarter final stage of the World Professional Billiards Championship, 2010. Pankaj advanced to the semi -final stage of the 2011 Championship after defeating Devendra Joshi but was then defeated by Mike Russell at the semi -final stage.



Titles

2010
Asian Games Gold Medallist - English Billiards Singles
Asian Billiards Championship

2009
World Professional Billiards Championship[6]
Asian Billiards Championship

2008
IBSF World Billiards Championship (both formats - timed and points)
Asian Billiards Championship

2006
Asian Games Gold Medallist - English Billiards singles

2005
IBSF World Billiards Championship (both formats - timed and points)
Asian Billiards Championship
India Billiards Championship
India Junior Snooker Championship
India Junior Billiards Championship
WSA Challenge Tour

2004
WSA Challenge Tour

2003
IBSF World Snooker Championship
Indian Junior Billiards Championship
Indian Junior Snooker Championship

2001
Indian Junior Billiards Championship

2000
Indian Junior Billiards Championship

1999
Pot Shot All India Triangular Championship
Pot Shot non-medallist Championship

1998
Karnataka State Junior Snooker Championship

1997
27th BS Sampath Memorial Handicap Snooker Championship
T.A. Selvaraj Memorial Billiards Championship
Karnataka Stage Junior Snooker Championship

Awards and honors

Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour, 2009

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour, 2005-06

Rajyotsava Award, Karnataka's highest civilian award, 2007.

Karnataka's 'Kempegowda Award" in 2007.

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2006.

Vision of India's "International Indian" Award in 2005.

Senior Sportsperson of the Year 2005

The Sports Writers' Association of Bangalore's

The Bangalore University ' Sportsperson of the Year, 2005

The Hero India Sports Award (HISA) in 2004

The Rajeev Gandhi Award in 2004

The Arjuna Award in 2004

The Indo-American Young Achiever's Award - 2003

The Sports Star Sportsperson of the Year 2003.