Advani eager and excited

Pankaj Advani feels the pressure of expectations as he prepares for his billiards title defence in the Asian Games.

Hours before embarking for Guangzhou, Advani sounded excited about his once-in-four-years experience. “There is a lot of pressure because of expectations. This is the biggest event for cue sports,” he said.

The 2009 World professional billiards champion rated billiards as the best event for Indians to win medals. “We have a better chance in billiards. In snooker, there is depth of players,” said Advani.

Fondly remembering India's 1-2 finish (with Ashok Shandilya bagging the silver) in billiards in the Doha Games, Advani said, “It was an ideal finish and we could not have asked for more. This time, Geet (Sethi) is my partner, which is a good thing.”

In Doha, India bagged four medals (one gold, one silver and two bronze) and Advani said the number could increase this time. “My conservative estimate is that we can win three to five medals. This time, the ladies can also contribute a couple of medals,” he said.

Advani said one had to be alert while taking part in the Asian Games. “In the World championship you play for days. But, here there is no scope for comeback. So, the key would be to handle pressure,” he said. However, he was unhappy about reports that cue sports might be shifted to the Asian Indoor Games.