Advani feels ‘butterflies’ as he targets 17th world title

India’s Pankaj Advani has won a total of 16 world titles so far. But going for the 17th of his career at the IBSF World Billiards Championship 2017, which starts in Doha today, he can still feel “butterflies in the stomach.” “Pressure is never passé,” he told Gulf Times at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation office in Doha yesterday.“In fact that is what pushes me to do well. Butterflies in the stomach actually help.”Advani has a unique record of achieving a hat-trick of hat-tricks in the game, winning the World, Asian and Indian championships in the years 2005, 2008 and 2012. The Indian government presented him the country’s highest sporting honour, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, in 2006, preceded by the Arjuna Award in 2004. Advani was also presented with India’s fourth highest civilian honour, Padma Shri, in 2009.The championship starts today morning at Al Arabi Sports Club, with the shorter format i.e. 150-Up running for the first four days, followed by the Long-Up format. While the billiards event concludes on November 15, the snooker championship begins on November 17.And that in itself presents a unique challenge for players.“Around the world, most players try and specialise in one event, and here I am trying to play two different disciplines,” said Advani, who won the point format of the world championship in Bengaluru, India, last year.“Earlier, there used to be at least five days between the two tournaments (billiards and snooker). But this time it’s just one day in between. However, I really don’t want to think about the snooker now,” the 32-year-old said.The two disciplines maybe played on the same table but the mental and strategic requirements are very different.“Billiards requires long periods of concentration, you are trying to stitch together long sequences, while snooker is more tactical, you are holding back a bit, playing safety a lot more,” Advani, who is part of a seven-strong Indian contingent at the billiards event, said.“But that’s sport. This really is a unique challenge, and one I am hoping to do well in,” he said.Advani is in Group A for the shorter format of the tournament with compatriot Brijesh Damani, Syria’s Abdulkarim Maksoud, Myanmar’s Aung Htay and Iraq’s Ihab al-Salih for company.Advani’s opponent for the points format world championship final, Peter Gilchrist of Singapore, is in Group B along with Qatar’s Khamis al-Obaidli, England’s Robert Hall, Myanmar’s Chit Ko Ko and India’s Dhruv Sitwala.“Peter and I have had our fair share of duels in the past. I think we have played each other more than 10 times. He has a game that troubles me and I have a game that troubles him,” Advani said of the veteran from Singapore.“There is Mike Russell, Aung Htay has been in good form, and then there are players from India too, and we all are familiar with each other’s strengths. And billiards is very unpredictable, so you never really know.”Bengaluru-based Advani has visited Qatar quite a few times in the past and said that he likes playing in the country.“The country is very hospitable, people are nice, and they seem to be spending well in development of the sport, which is great. After these two world championships, there is also the 9-ball coming up. They are a hub for snooker, and now hopefully billiards in the future,” he said.“I am friends with many Qatar players. Ahmed (Saif) is a dear friend, who makes it a point to take me out a couple of whenever I am here, makes me feel at home.” GROUPSGroup A: Abdulkarim Maksoud (Syria), Aung Htay (Myanmar), Ihab al-Salih (Iraq), Pankaj Advani (India), Brijesh Damani (India)Group B: Robert Hall (England), Khamis al-Obaidli (Qatar), Peter Gilchrist (Singapore), Chit Ko Ko (Myanmar), Dhruv Sitwala (India)Group C: Rupesh Shah (India), Mike Russell (England), Yazan Alhadad (Syria), Dhvaj Haria (India), Aidan Murray (Ireland)Group D: Steve Mifsud (Australia), Siddharth Parikh (India), Sourav Kothari (India), Nay Thway Oo (Myanmar)PRIZE MONEY:150 Up Championship minimum prize fund USD8,000Championship Highest Break – US$200 + CertificateLong Up Championship minimum prize fund US$8,000.00Championship Highest Break – US$500 + Certificate