Pankaj Advani won his maiden National 9-ball pool title in Ludhiana, defeating Nitin Sharma in the final. The veteran cueist impressed in a format he had not played for over 25 years, adding another achievement to his illustrious career
Published Date – 1 April 2026, 12:14 AM
Hyderabad: Pankaj Advani, India’s most decorated cueist, added another feather to his cap by winning his maiden National 9-ball pool title at the Rotary Bhawan in Ludhiana on Tuesday.
In the final, the PSPB cueist outplayed Nitin Sharma of Chandigarh 11-6 in the race-to-11 affair in front of an appreciative crowd. Advani, who stayed away from the fast-paced discipline for over 25 years, made it a memorable debut.
“I can’t believe it, this is a very different title,” said Advani. “It means so much to me to win in a sport which is outside my comfort zone.
“To be an underdog and eventually go on to lift the trophy is something I never imagined would happen in my wildest dreams.”
Owner of 28 world titles in billiards and snooker, Advani proved that he possesses a high degree of skill and tactical acumen to excel in this high-speed version of cue sports.
Results (9-ball pool): Men: Final: Pankaj Advani (PSPB) bt Nitin Sharma (Chd) 11-6.
Third-place playoff: S Shrikrishna (PSPB) bt Kushal Chandrashekar (Kar) 7-2.
Junior boys: Semis: Aarav Sancheti (Mah) bt Mayur Garg (Guj) 6-1; Laksh Sharma (Kar) bt Rehaan Misra (Del) 6-1.
Junior girls: Semis: Natasha Chethan (Kar) bt Jiya Sehgal (Pun) 6-4; L Shruthi (TN) bt Sanvi Shah (MP) 6-4.
