33-year-old cue sports icon bags his 20th world title

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Not too many sportspeople in the world have made winning a world title a regular habit like India's Pankaj Advani. The cue sports ace has recently won his mind-boggling 20th world title in his incredible career as he successfully defended his World Billiards (150-Up) title in Yangon, Myanmar. Advani's latest world title came when he outclassed home favorite Nay Thway Oo of Myanmar 6-2 in the final.

Playing flawlessly throughout the competition, the 33-year-old started the much-anticipated final with a game winning break of 108. A strong reply came from Nay Thway with a break of 147 as he stayed at par. The next two games saw the same pattern of Advani winning one and his rival winning the next as the score was tied at two each.

Pankaj Advani (C) of India poses after claiming the gold medal in the Men's English Billiards Singles Final at the 15th Asian Games Doha in 2006. /VCG File Photo

Although Nay Thway Oo, who was playing in the title round for the first time in his career, continued his valiant fight in 6th and 7th frame too but a vintage Advani rallied the breaks of 141, 129, 145 and subsequently an unfinished break of 151 to clinch the next four games as well as the match with a final score of 6-2.

After his adding a new feather to his heavily decorated crown, the most usual world champion in world sports said, “This win is extremely special for me. It's a perfect 20 and I'm glad that I'm still hungry for more. It's pleasing to be able to play at a quality level over the years and looking to take this tally beyond a core.”

While this is yet another world title for the cue sports wizard from Bengaluru, this win also marked a hat-trick of wins in the shorter format. Advani's first title in the format came in his hometown in 2016 and he repeated the feat in Doha last year.

A two-time former Asian Games gold medalist in billiards, Advani was the first person in the world to win the trio of the WPBSA World Billiards Champion pro title (which he has held twice, in 2009 and 2012), and the IBSF World Billiards Champion amateur title, as well as the IBSM World Snooker Champion amateur title.