Kolkata, Jan 12 (IANS) Twelve-time World Champion Pankaj Advani Monday favoured an Indian Premier league (IPL) -styled snooker or billiards championship as the ‘perfect mantra’ for promoting cue sports in India as it will provide a window for the domestic players to showcase their talent on the world stage.
“An IPL-styled league will be the perfect mantra for spreading the game in India. If it can be feasible for cricket and kabaddi, they why not snooker? The state associations and the national federation should look into it,” Advani said on the sidelines of the National Billiards and Snooker Championship at the Bengal Rowing Club here.
Advani, who played here for the first time in the 1997 junior nationals, said the audiences now were more interested in quick results and television-friendly sports. The league would ensure a new package of entertainment for the audience as well as a medium for grassroot development.
“The audience nowadays is interested in quick results. They love to see the underdog win. Maybe the format can be tweaked to suit the Indian viewers. As believed, snooker is not that expensive.”
The 29-year-old also believes that the National Championships is of prime importance as only a top-4 finish would guarantee representing the country at world events.
“It’s a quality tournament with quality players and you have to be in top-4 to represent India internationally, which is tough,” said the 29-year-old.
On motivating himself after having won so many world titles, Advani said: “You are always trying to improve. The day you get stagnant in sports, you go down.”
Advani also felt that there was need for a professional snooker league in Asia, like the one in Britain, where Asian players can participate.
“There should be a professional snooker league in Asia because travelling to England and staying there for six months in a year can get difficult, financially as well as mentally,” concluded Advani.