Indian cue sport poster boy Pankaj Advani, who quit snooker pro tour last year, rued logistical problems in playing professional league in UK and said the Asian Tour is the way forward.
“I am one of them who chose to come back (after spending two years). While there are many tournaments but the fact remains that you need to be based in the UK to make a mark, that’s the biggest challenge.
“I’m not complaining but that’s what it is. There should be an Asian Tour and I think the BSFI are thinking on these lines,” the only Indian to win both the world billiards and IBSF snooker championship said.
Citing the logistical problems, the 29-year-old further said: “To play the professional league in England you have to play more than six months in a year. A lot of Asians have gone and struggled. It’s expensive; you’ve to stay away from family and a whole of lot of factors.
“We need to finish in top two or four —depending on the criteria — to qualify for the international tournaments and representing India. So it’s out of necessity we play a tournament like this because if we don’t play here we miss a chance to play in the Asia and World Championships.”
Recollecting his last national stint in Kolkata, way back in 1997, he said: “Incidentally, it all began here (at the BRC) when I had come here for the junior National. I came here lost 1-3 to Neeraj Kumar and flew back...”
The reigning national snooker champion along with the billiards champion Sourav Kothari further said the sport could become more popular if an IPl-like franchise league was introduced. “The traditional 15-red game may drag a bit, it needs to be tweaked to make it TV and spectator-friendly. The format needs to be short,” Advani said.