The Hindu : Pankaj to lead Indian challenge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2003

Sport

Sport - Billiards & Snooker

Pankaj to lead Indian challenge

New Delhi July 15 . National champion Pankaj Advani will spearhead India's challenge at the 2003 IBSF World under-21 snooker championship beginning in Taupo in New Zealand on Wednesday.

Pankaj, the 18-year-old from Bangalore, who emulated his idol Geet Sethi by winning three titles (junior billiards and snooker, and senior snooker) in this year's National championships, along with Kolkata's 18-year-old Sourav Kothari and Mumbai's 17-year-old Aditya Mehta, form the Indian contingent.

According to information received here, the trio is accompanied by coach Manoj Kothari, Sourav's father, himself a former World amateur billiards champion.

In all, 64 players from 20 countries will be taking part. The players have been divided into eight groups for a preliminary league. The top four from each group will advance to the knockout round of 32.

In their opening group matches on Wednesday, Pankaj takes on Shannon Swain of New Zealand, Aditya meets Sascha Lippe of Germany and Sourav faces Li Yinyi of China.

The entry list includes the current title holder, Ding Junhui of China, and for the first time ladies are being allowed to participate, after it was agreed to accept them into the World under-21 championship at the 2002 IBSF AGM held in Cairo, Egypt.

The league matches will be decided over best of seven frames, the rounds of 32 and 16, best of nine, quarterfinals, best of 11, semifinals, best of 15 and the final, best of 21 over two sessions.

UNI

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