The Indian Sports Maestro Pankaj Advani again presented his shine on the international scene, capturing an unprecedented 14th gold medal in the Asian snooker championship in Doha. The triumph occurs only a few days after winning the national snooler championship in Indore, still proving why he remains the most famous coastist in the country. Advani’s victory in Doha adds to an already amazing list of distinctions. He now holds five Asian snooler titles (through 15 red, 6 red and team formats) alongside nine Asian billiards, and his two gold medals from Asian matches (2006, 2010) highlight his domination.
With this last victory, he approaches an unprecedented achievement – winning the national, Asian and world championships in a single year. Having already accomplished this feat in billiards, finishing it in Snooker would make him the only player in history to do so in both disciplines.
The final against Amir Sarkhosh of Iran was a battle of Champions. Sarkhosh, a former Asian and global snooker champion of the IBSF 6-Rouge, struck first, entering an early advance. But Advani, known for her pressure under pressure, replied in style.
With breaks of 93 and 66, he took control of the match and never looked back, upgrading his opponent with his signature precision and his tactical shine.
Thinking about his victory, Advani said: “Winning my 14th Asian title is incredibly special, especially in the snooker. It was a difficult tournament, and I am delighted to add another gold to my collection. I hope to spend this moment and continue to make India proud.” The triumph also solidifies its place in the history of sport. While he aims at the World Snooker Championship later in the year, everyone looks impatiently to see if he can achieve another benchmark in a glorious career.
(With the exception of the title, this story has not been published by NDTV staff and is published from a unionized flow.)
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