Pankaj Advani is a 19 time World Champion English billiards and snooker player from India. In recognition of his achievements, the Government of India has bestowed several awards upon Advani: the Arjuna Award in 2004, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2006, Padma Shri in 2009 and Padma Bhushan in 2018.

Birth Name

Pankaj Arjan Advani

Nickname

The Prince of India, The Golden Boy, The Prince of Pune

Profession

English Billiards, Snooker Player

Nationality

Indian

Personal Life

Birthday / Date of Birth

Pankaj Advani was born on 24 July 1985, in Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Age

He’s currently 33 years old.

Sun Sign

Leo

Ethnicity

(Indian) Asian

Education

Pankaj attended Frank Anthony Public School, Bangalore and earned his bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College, Bangalore, India.

Family Details

Father – Arjan Advani

Mother – Kajal Advani

– Kajal Advani Siblings – Shree Advani (Sport & Performance Psychologist)

Marital Status

Single

Girlfriend / Spouse

Pankaj Advani dated –

Advani has kept his personal life discreet from his professional life and thus there is not much information available of any relation he has had in the past or in the present.

Physical Statistics

Height

In feet – 5 feet 8 inches

– 5 feet 8 inches In centimeters – 173 cm

– 173 cm In meters – 1.73 m

Weight

In Kilograms – 65 kg

– 65 kg In Pounds – 143 lbs

Body Measurements

Unknown

Body Build

Athletic

Eye Color

Black

Hair Color

Black

Sexuality

Straight

Professional Statistics

International Debut

Billiards

Pankaj Advani made his international debut at the Asian Billiards Championship 2002, held at Bangalore, in which he finished as a finalist. He own his first International title in 2005 in the IBSF World Billiards Championship at Qawra, Malta, becoming the first player top achieve a “grand double” by winning both the time and point formats.

Snookers

At 18, Pankaj debuted at the IBSF World Snooker Championship 2003, held at Jiangmen, China, and apparently winning the title.With this win, he became the youngest Indian to win the international title. As of March 2018, Pankaj Advani has won 60 titles, including 19 World Titles, 8 Asian Titles, 2 Asian Games, 1 Australian Open and 30 National Titles.

Awards / Honors

Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honour, 2018

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour, 2005, 2006

Rajyotsava Award, Karnataka’s highest civilian award, 2007

Karnataka’s ‘Kempegowda Award” in 2007.

Ekalavya Award in 2007

Vision of India’s “International Indian” Award in 2005.

Senior Sportsperson of the Year 2005

The Sports Writers’ Association of Bangalore

The Bangalore University Sportsperson of the Year, 2005

The Hero India Sports Award (HISA) in 2004

The Rajiv Gandhi Award in 2004

The Arjuna Award in 2004

The Indo-American Young Achiever’s Award, 2003

The Sports Star Sportsperson of the Year, 2003.

World Titles

2003, 2015, 2017 – IBSF World Snooker Champion

2005, 2007-09, 2012, 2014-15 – World Billiards Champion (Time Format)

2014 – The World Team Billiards Championship

2014-15 – IBSF World Six-Red Snooker Champion

2005, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017 – World Billiards Champion (Points Format)

2018 – IBSF World Snooker Team Championship

Pankaj Advani Favorites

Favorite Sportsperson – Roger Federer

– Roger Federer Favorite Food – Idli, South Indian Food

– Idli, South Indian Food Favorite Designers – Manoviraj Khosla, Wendell Rodricks, Babita Malkani

– Manoviraj Khosla, Wendell Rodricks, Babita Malkani Favorite Songs – Sadi Gali (Tanu Weds Manu), Greece 2000, Unforgivable by Armin Van Buuren and Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

– Sadi Gali (Tanu Weds Manu), Greece 2000, Unforgivable by Armin Van Buuren and Nothing Else Matters by Metallica Favorite Holiday Spots – Goa, Melbourne

Pankaj Advani Net worth

Pankaj Advani net worth is $7 million dollars as of 2019.

Social Media Profiles

Some Lesser Known Facts About Pankaj Advani

His family moved to Kuwait when he was a toddler and lived there for five years. They returned to India after Iraqi invasion and settled in Bangalore, India.

His brother Shree Advani introduced him to Arvind Savur, former National Snooker champion, when he discovered his passion for the game. Advani received snooker training from Arvind Savur.

Pankaj won his maiden title at the age of 12.

In 2000, he won the Indian Junior Billiards Championship title and went on to win the title again in 2001 and 2003.

In 2003, Pankaj won the India Junior Snooker Championship, thus making him the youngest National Snooker champion.

At the IBSF World Billiards Championship 2005, he own both the time and point formats title, and thus becoming the only Indian to have won the amateur world title in both snooker and billiards. He made it again in 2008.

Pankaj holds the record of being the youngest Indian to have won both formats of world titles in English billiards, for a record 8 times.

He also holds a record of being the only person to win all five national, regional, and world billiards tournaments in a single season, the Asian Billiards Championship, and both the World Billiards Championship (point format) and World Billiards Championship (time format).

Pankaj Advani is the only player ever to win world titles in both the long and short formats of snooker (15-red standard, and 6-red) and both formats of English billiards (time and point).

During his school days, he wanted to become a pilot to fulfil his desire of travelling the whole world.

For his success, he gives credit to his brother Dr Shree Advani and coach Arvind Savur.

He is the only person in the world, who won the billiards and snooker IBSF World Titles, along with World Professional Billiards Championship.

He is eighteen times world champion of both world snooker and billiards.