Pankaj Advani who is the youngest Indian sportsperson to win eight world titles said his recent World Billiards Championship triumph was a "special" one as he waited for three years to regain it, says a report in The Times of India.
"It's a special win for me. It's been a long wait for me, I waited for three years. To be able to keep your motivation level high, to win against a great player like Mike, it's a huge thing for me and I'll cherish the moment. I still consider him the best. To win it on my mom's birthday, it's definitely a gift to her from my side and a special one," said Advani.
"Another thing is I could complete my third hat-trick of billiards titles. As in 2005, 2008 and now in 2012, these are the three years when I won the Nationals, Asian and World Championships in the same calendar year. It's very very special for these reasons,” he added.
On the win over legends of modern era, Mike Russell in the final, Advani said, “It's a fulfilling experience. To play Mike in the finals of the longer version requires an enormous amount of endurance and skill. In 2009, I won the title and winning it again after a long gap of 3 years, it's a special victory for me. My patience and decision to play in this championship both paid off. The win against Mike is always special.”
Meanwhile, The Hindustan Times reports that when Advani decided to take part in the world billiards championship, he made a promise to himself that nothing short of silverware would satisfy him.
"I feel relieved and proud of my decision. Whenever I've had to make a choice, I've come through. I guess the pressure of missing out on something makes me want to outdo myself in what I choose even more, It was a tough decision but your heart seldom lets you down. I had a great feeling about the world billiards this time and followed the calling," he said.