Even with 29 world titles, Pankaj Advani believes in “improving” rather than “proving” himself. The 41-year-old cue sports legend recently won his 21st World Billiards Championship title in Great Wyrley, England, after a stunning comeback in the final against Robert Hall. Reflecting on his triumph in a candid conversation with Bangalore Times, Pankaj says, “Just before I left, I came across a video of a woman saying we are so focused on proving ourselves instead of improving ourselves. That caught my attention. We are always chasing validation and saying, ‘I am the best in the world.’ It is so much better if we look inwards and introspect about how we can become better as human beings.”‘Even exceptionally good players are bound to lose’Pankaj believes expectations change once you become a champion. “When you are a young player challenging the champions, it is easier because there are no expectations. Once you keep winning, there is pressure to defend your title and remain at the top,” he says.Experience has taught him to accept defeat. “There is not a single player who has won every match they have ever played. Even exceptionally good players are bound to lose, and that is absolutely fine. It is what makes sport exciting. You never know whether you are going to win, but you still take that chance,” he explains. He doesn’t take praise for granted. “I would be lying if I said I don’t like it when people call me a ‘legend’. It feels really nice. I work hard for it, and I am grateful to the people who share that positive energy,” he adds.
I want to discover my maximum potential as a player and be the best version of a cueist that I can be
Pankaj Advani
‘I never wanted to limit myself to one game’Advani’s success in both billiards and snooker defied the belief that players must pick one discipline. “When I won my first title at 18, I told my coach and some senior players I wanted to become equally adept at billiards. Hardly anybody had taken that path. I wanted to redefine the word ‘specialisation’ and challenge the usual approach. Most of my achievements have come in billiards, but I also have eight world titles in snooker. That is no mean feat, even in my own estimation,” he says.For Advani, versatility is central to the legacy he hopes to leave behind. “I feel that is the legacy I would leave behind: showing people that you can push your limits and take the road less travelled,” he adds.‘If I enter a tournament, I want to be prepared’Almost three decades in, Pankaj’s desire to keep learning has not faded. “I just want to discover my maximum potential as a player and be the best version of a cueist that I can be. We all have limitations, and even the best players have certain chinks in their armour. I am no different. But there is never an end to learning,” he says.He is equally strict about preparation. “If I enter a tournament, I want to be ready. If I am not good enough to win it, I don’t want to appear in it. If I haven’t put in the hard work and am not match-ready, there is no point in playing. I love the game, but at the end of the day, I am a professional,” he adds.‘Our athletes deserve more than four-yearly attention’Pankaj feels India still has to build a culture that follows athletes through their careers. “There is no dearth of talent in India, be it any sport, our athletes are doing really well,” he says.But he is concerned that public interest often only peaks during the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics and fades once the events end. “We get excited because these events happen once every four years. People want to take pictures with our gold, silver and bronze medallists, and then they forget about them. Until the next Games, nobody talks about these athletes,” he shares.Greater public engagement with these competitions, he believes, could help create more sustainable opportunities. “If we truly get behind our athletes, follow their journeys and follow the sport as a whole, there will be a lot more interest and attention. That will help each sport flourish,” he adds.
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