Through the myriad of matches and green tables, all eyes will focus on the fortunes of India’s brightest cueist Pankaj Advani, when the IBSF World snooker championship begins at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, here on Wednesday.
The 11-day tournament will be conducted at breakneck speed, with the 225 players from 50 countries put through the paces in the group matches.
Advani, who basked in the glory of becoming the only man to win a double three times at the recent IBSF World billiards championship at Leeds, will seek to make yet another seamless transition to the snooker here.
A 13th world title is on offer, and given his penchant for achieving the improbable, it would take a brave man to bet against the Bengalurean.
The 29-year-old could have been forgiven for enjoying the spoils after his record stint three weeks ago at Leeds, but he has, in fact, done the opposite. Almost immediately, Advani shifted gears and immersed himself in practice at an academy in Sheffield. A maximum of 147-break there shows that the winning momentum shines through across formats.
Well prepared“I decided to practise at Sheffield after the world billiards to give myself the best chance of doing well here, especially because the event is being held at my home town. I’ve done my homework, and I’m well prepared,” a nerveless Advani stated.
Asked about his rich vein of form, he replied: “The momentum is with me and I want to capitalise on it.
“The confidence of winning… nothing else can compare.”
Despite all the recognition, Advani played down his chances. “There are some fantastic players here from Britain, Thailand, China and Pakistan.”
The women’s field is of a similarly high quality, boasting of Indian hopefuls Vidya Pillai and Chitra Magimairaj, Thailand’s Asian Indoor Games champion Amornrat Uamduang, Hong Kong’s two-time world champion Ng On-Yee and Belgium’s seven-time European champion Wendy Jans.
“Expect many century breaks and intensely-competitive matches — the event will be a thrilling experience for everyone,” Advani said, setting the stage for good times to come for cue sports fans.
Entry is free to the public.
