Mumbai, Mar 17 (PTI) Defending champion Pankaj Advani will look to continue his dominant run when he leads a talented group of Indian and international cueists at the CCI Billiards Classic beginning here on March 21.

Offering a total prize purse of Rs 10.15 lakh, the tournament, organized by the Cricket Club of India, will kick off at the Sir Wilson Jones billiards hall here.

Advani, India’s most successful cueist with 27 World Championship titles to his name, has been in stellar form with three consecutive wins at CCI in the past year.

He secured the CCI Classic Snooker title in January 2023 and successfully defended it earlier this month. Additionally, he claimed the CCI Classic Billiards championship last April, demonstrating his dominance at the venue.

Challenging Advani are top Indian players such as National champion Dhruv Sitwala, National runner-up Sourav Kothari, and Maharashtra No. 1 Mahesh Jagdale, along with several other talented contenders.

The tournament has also attracted five international players, including Peter Gilchrist of Singapore and Englishmen David Causier, Peter Sheehan, Chris Taylor, and last year’s runner-up Rob Hall.

Former world champions like Rupesh Shah, Ashok Shandilya and Devendra Joshi will also be in contention.

The tournament format includes 24 seeded players in the main draw, who will be joined by eight qualifiers. The players will compete in round-robin league matches, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout stage.

The championship winner will receive a prize of Rs 250,000 along with a trophy, while the runner-up will be awarded Rs 150,000.

Source: PTI News