Phantasmagoria: Day 5: Pankaj Advani pots gold

Pankaj Advani (left) with Ashok Shandilya after the medal ceremony

Dateline DOHA
There is steely resolve beneath those boyish charms. At 20, Pankaj Advani defeated his much older compatriot Ashok Shandilya in the final of the English Billiard Singles to win the India’s second Asiad gold at the Al Sadd Sports Club here, yesterday. Peter Gilchrist of Singapore won the bronze medal beating Aung San Oo of Myanmar.
Already a winner of world amateur snooker and world amateur billiards titles, this Bangalore boy is right on top of the world. “I have kept my 100 per cent record intact,” he said after his victory against Shandilya. “He (Shandilya) was my toughest opponent here and an excellent player. Thankfully I kept my nerves and won.”
Although he is a master of both snooker and billiards, but the Indian federation rules only let him participate in one game. “I chose billiards and have done the job for the country. Now I can say that I have also contributed to the medals tally here. I dedicate my victory to my mother (Kajal), coach Arvind Savur and my brother Shree,” he added.
On being asked about his next target, the coy student of Commerce said, “My next target is now to win the national championships.” Don’t get surprised by his answer, as the boy has been-there-and-done-that in cue sports. “There is no cue sport in the Olympics. So this is the maximum I could achieve after the world titles.”
Talking about his final match against Shandilya, Pankaj said, “I played on the top of the table. In both the games today (final and semifinal match), I had to absolutely come back from behind. I played under tremendous pressure but I handled the pressure well and went on to win.”.
Although he is a world champion, but he hasn’t lost his boyish charm. “I want to continue winning as I have a long road ahead,” he said, adding, “Today I will treat all my colleagues and will then go and watch the latest James Bond flick Casino Royale.”
An aggressive player, Pankaj said, “Aggression doesn't mean showing your emotions or throwing tantrums when you're in the arena. It means that you're a more attacking player. You go for your shots, try and finish off the game as quickly as possible.”
On his mentor and coach, Arvind Savur, Pankaj said, “He is the best coach in India and to be trained by him is an honour in itself. Without him I wouldn't have reached such a high level in the game."
And his talent was well recognized by the country when the Indian government awarded him the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for 2005, India's highest national recognition for sportpersons. He pipped Indian cricket captain Rahul Dravid for the award. A big achievement in itself considering the mass popularity and hysteria attached to the game in the country.
When he won the 2005 International Billiards and Snooker Federation World Billiards Championships, he became only the second person, and first Asian, to have won both the billiards and snooker amateur world titles, adding the win to his victory in the 2003 IBSF World Snooker Championships. Only Malta's Paul Mifsud had achieved the distinction previously.