“We have to create a sporting culture, wherein we churn out world beaters consistently and not be content with just a few medals in the Olympics,” says Pankaj Advani. In a free-wheeling chat with The Hindu , Advani, easily the face of cue sports in India, spoke on various topics about the sport, its legacy, its future, the government recognition and other issues.
Excerpts
On re-inventing himself: It is not about numbers anymore. It is about evolving as a sportsperson. It about playing to your potential, and if I am able to improve even more over the next few years it will be fulfilling.
I look up to [Roger] Federer, the way he has re-invented himself. He may not have won a Grand Slam the last couple of years but he is still beating the top guys. Constantly finding ways to improve and prove myself, gives me great satisfaction as a sportsperson.
On 6 red and the sport’s future: 6 red snooker will attract more people to the game. It has the ability to be television friendly and make cue sports popular. It is fast, gets over quicker. I don’t see a major difference between 6 red and 15 red in the sense that if you are able to pot all the six reds and clear the table, you are as good for the 15 red format. Only it requires more stamina, more thought and is a bit more tactical. 6 red will work just as a means to the end.
On the obsession with Olympic sports: Recently we have set the Olympic medal as a benchmark of sporting excellence, which I do not agree to. Sport is all about consistency, winning year after year. Look at Federer at his peak. He won multiple Grand Slams throughout the year. But here the government through its policies is telling us give us medals once in four years, we are more than happy. It is just a short term measure.
Look at China, Australia and other countries. They produce champions after champions and along the way they are bound to pick up Olympic medals. What we need to ask is if just four or five medals once in four years are enough or do we consistently churn out world beaters from the beginning in all sports and not just necessarily Olympic sports. We need to change our perception of sporting excellence.
Cues sport in India has been the most consistent in terms of producing champions. We have Asian championships golds, World championship golds. Look at Vidya Pillay. She won the World Cup gold in the team event, but you say the team event does not get that much weightage. Yet Sania [Mirza] who is a doubles specialist gets the Khel Ratna. I am not grudging Sania her award. She has done well; it is our policies that show double standards.
I am not angry, just amazed, all I am saying is we have to get our priorities right.
