My 10-year-old cue stick is my lucky charm: Advani

Through seven World and five Asian titles and across 30 countries one thing has remained unchanged in Billiards wonder boy Pankaj Advani's life - his lucky cue.

For the past 10 years, Advani has treasured his lucky charm and has no plan to give it up for a new one even if it requires minor repair job from time to time.

"I picked this cue from Bangkok in 2001 during the Asian junior championship. This cue has travelled with me across 30 countries. I won many major championships with it, including all my seven World and five Asian titles. So, I consider it as my lucky charm," Advani said.

"Majority of my success has come with this cue and I don't think that I could have got a better cue than this. This has something special in it and I am not going to give it up for a new one," Advani said.

With this cue, Advani became the youngest Indian to win the IBSF World Snooker Championship in 2003 and also won the Asian Billiards Championship and IBSF World Billiards Championship in 2005.

He also became the only player to repeat the twin triumphs at the IBSF World Billiards Championships in 2008, before winning the World Professional Billiards Championship last year and his third straight (and fourth overall) Asian billiards title in April this year.

"When I came back from Bangkok and started playing with the cue. It took me two months to get used to it and now I am very touchy about my stick.

"No player will use other cue than the one he is using personally for a long time. You see each cue has different feel from the other one," Advani said.

The cue is made up of refined ash wood. The butt end of the cue is of larger circumference while the shaft is of smaller circumference.

This year, Advani will defend his title at the World professional billiard Championship in September, before touring China for the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou from November 12 to 27.

"The World championship is one of the most important tournaments this year as I am the defending champion. I have worked hard and hope to retain the title," he said.

"I'm currently taking part in the second phase of selection trials for men's Billiards and Snooker for the Asian Games in Goa," he added.