Pankaj Advani is one of the best Indian snooker players ever, having once flown the flag for a country that doesn’t have a strong reputation for producing talent in the sport. After enjoying success on the world stage throughout the 2010s, the 37-year-old opted to turn his full focus to his billiards career.
There are many Advani fans out there who would love to see him make a grand return to snooker, and there is a chance that this could happen at some point in the future.
Few Indians Represented in the Snooker Betting
Although India has produced some talent in the snooker scene over the years, the country has a lack of representation at the top level in 2022. This is reflected in the live snooker odds, where there are few Indian players to be found. Indeed, if you check out the outrights for the World Championship, it’s the same familiar names at the top of the odds. These include the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, who is currently priced at odds of 4/1, and Judd Trump, who is priced at 9/2.
Many of the best Indian snooker players of all time have already retired. Yasin Merchant, for instance, enjoyed his greatest success in the 1990s and early 2000s. He won three National Snooker Championships in 1991, 2000, and 2001. Aditya Mehta is another famous name who has already hung up his snooker cue. He was a member of the World Snooker tour between 2007 and 2008, and then again from 2011 to 2018.
Advani Enjoyed Success as a Snooker Player
It’s interesting that, despite having been out of the snooker circuit for the last few years, Advani is still considered the best Indian snooker player. He last competed in the 2016-17 season, when he lost to Stephen Maguire in the third round of the Indian Open. That same year, he won all his group matches at the Six-red World Championship. He ultimately lost to Ding Junhui in the semi-finals.
Prior to that season, Advani had great success in snooker and made a name for himself on the international stage. At one point, he managed to reach 56th in the world rankings, and he frequently made it to the latter stages of prestigious tournaments. In terms of accolades, Advani won the IBSF World Snooker Championship (15 Reds) in 2003, 2015, and 2017. He also won the IBSF World Team Championship in 2019.
Currently Focusing on Billiards
Advani’s main focus at the moment is on billiards, and there’s no doubt that he’s one of the hottest talents on the planet in this sport. Throughout his glittering career, the 37-year-old has won 17 billiards world titles, along with 15 IBSF World Billiards Championships.
The Golden Boy’s achievements have been recognised by the Indian government, which has presented him with various accolades over the years. These include the Arjuna Award in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2018.
Advani still has a long career ahead of him, as there is no age limit to when people in this field pass their prime. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect that he will return to snooker at some point. It feels like he has unfinished business in the field, and it would be great to see him up against some of the best in the business.
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