Indian sports wrap, February 11: Pankaj Advani wins Indian Snooker Championship

CUE SPORT

Pankaj Advani claims Indian Snooker Championship

India’s most accomplished player, Pankaj Advani, secured his 36th overall national title and 10th men’s snooker crown at the Yashwant Club, in a commanding display of skill and determination.

The ONGC employee overcame an early setback to defeat Brijesh Damani in a final where Damani managed to take the opening frame, the only one he would claim throughout the match.

The tournament serves as the only selection event for the Asian and World Championships.

Advani’s performance was marked by consistency and precision. After falling behind by a frame, he maintained his composure and controlled the table, leaving little room for error. In the final frame, Advani delivered an impressive 84 break, sealing the frame, match and championship.

“Since this is the only event that determines the representatives of the country for international tournaments, the stakes were high,” Advani said.

The high pressure tournament proved to be a full-circle moment for Advani.

In the group stage, he had suffered his only loss of the competition at the hands of Damani, where he managed to win only one frame. The rivalry took an ironic turn in the final when the tables were turned and Advani emerged victorious, dropping just one frame in the match.

A critical turning point in this 91st edition of the National Championships came during the round of 48.

Despite being 4-2 down – a situation that nearly saw him exit the event – the multiple-time world champion mounted an unforgettable comeback by winning the match 5-4. This resilient display not only saved his tournament bid but also set the stage for the success that followed.

“There was a good feeling about this gold when the round of 48 match saw me bounce back from almost being out of the competition. Then I knew this pivotal moment had to mean something big awaits. Happy to have earned the chance to again represent India in both billiards and snooker,” Advani said.

With the Asian Snooker Championship scheduled to commence from February 15, both Advani and Damani now face the opportunity to play for the tricolour on the international stage.

– PTI

ATHLETICS

All nine finishers in women’s 10km race walk event better National Games record

All nine competitors who on Tuesday finished the women’s 10km race walk event in the National Games bettered the earlier Games record set 26 years ago.

Eleven athletes started the race but two could not finish. National record holder Priyanka Goswami entered her name but did not start the race, which returned to the National Games for the first time after the 1999 edition in Manipur.

Haryana’s Ravina, who had won the National Inter-State and National Open Championships last year in the 20km event, clinched the gold with a time of 45.52 seconds, bettering the earlier Games record of 51.56 seconds set by Y Bala Devi of Manipur in the 1999 Games in Imphal.

All the other eight athletes who followed Ravina at the finish line also clocked better times than the earlier Games record of 51.56 seconds.

They are Shalini (46.12 seconds) of Uttarakhand, Munita Prajapati (46:23) of Uttar Pradesh, Mokavi Muthurathinam (46.23) of Tamil Nadu, Payal (47.36) of Uttarakhand, Reshma Patel (48.16) of Uttar Pradesh, Mansi Negi (48.32) of Uttarakhand, Sejal Singh (49.33) of Maharashtra and Monika (51.45) of Haryana.

In the men’s 20km event, six competitors out of 10 who finished the race bettered the earlier Games record of 1 hour, 23 minutes and 26 seconds set by Gurmeet Singh of Jharkhand in the 2011 edition.

Servin Sebastian of Services, who won the 20km race walk event at the National Open Championships, took the gold with a personal best time of 1:21:23. His earlier personal best was 1:21:39.

Uttarakhand’s Suraj Panwar, who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the marathon race walking mixed relay event along with Priyanka, took the silver with a time of 1:21:34, while Amanjot Singh of Punjab secured the bronze, clocking 1:21:42.

Paramjeet Singh Bisht of Services, who competed in the Paris Olympics 20km race walk event, was fourth with a time of 1:22:02. Ram Baboo of Uttar Pradesh, who won a bronze in mixed 35km race walk at the 2022 Asian Games, was fifth with 1:22:26, while Mukesh Nitharwal of Rajasthan sixth with 1:22:52.

In fact, the race walk events were initially not in the 38th National Games as the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had decided to exclude them because it wanted the elite race walkers to participate in select competitions so that they could achieve their peak in major international events.

Later, on the request from the Games organisers, the AFI reversed it decision and included the race walk events. But, instead of the women’s 20km event, which has been held in the past seven editions, the AFI decided to have the 10km event.

The men’s 20km event was kept unchanged.

– PTI