Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Indian ace queist Pankaj Advani for becoming the world billiards champion for the 20th time.
Advani clinched his 28th World Championship title (his 20th in Billiards) at the IBSF World Billiards (150-Up) 2024, defeating England’s Robert Hall 4-2 in the final.
“Phenomenal accomplishment! Congratulations to you. Your dedication, passion and commitment are outstanding. You have time and again demonstrated what excellence is. Your success will also keep inspiring upcoming athletes,” PM Modi posted on X.
Replying to the Prime Minister’s message, Advani posted, “Thank you Sir for your warm and encouraging words. Means a lot to me. Hope to win more Gold Medals for our country.”
Advani had defeated his compatriot Sourav Kothari 4-2 in the semifinal. The latter then settled for the bronze medal.
The 39-year-old is the only player in the world to win world titles in all formats of both billiards and snooker. He is the only person to have won the Asian and World Championships in all formats of billiards and snooker. Moreover, he has the highest number of IBSF world championships in billiards and snooker.
