Hurt at missing out on Padma Bhushan award for the second year in a row, 16-time world champion cueist Pankaj Advani says he does not know what he needs to do more to receive the coveted civilian honour.

Advani, who has pocketed eight world titles in the last eight years, was recommended for the third highest civilian award of the country by the Karnataka government as well as the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI).

The Bengaluru-based Advani, one of India’s greatest cueists, did not say much after being overlooked for the award yet again, but expressed his feelings on social media.

“Thank you sir. Just feel after 16 world titles and 2 Asian games golds if I’m ignored for a Padma Bhushan, don’t know what more I need to do,” Advani tweeted in his response to Sports Minister Vijay Goel, who congratulated him for winning a staggering 28th national title in Pune earlier this week.

Thank you sir. Just feel after 16 world titles and 2 Asian games golds if I’m ignored for a padma bhushan, don’t know what more I need to do https://t.co/kI1pmFL0M9

— Pankaj Advani (@PankajAdvani247) January 25, 2017

Congratulations @PankajAdvani247! Winning is synonymous to you. Best wishes for future games/championships ✌️ https://t.co/kaMKmp2ZtB — Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) January 25, 2017

National Billiards Champion 2017 pic.twitter.com/l51HueF9Fj

— Pankaj Advani (@PankajAdvani247) January 24, 2017

No sportsperson was chosen for Padma Bhushan this year while eight athletes from various disciplines, including Virat Kohli and Dipa Karmakar, were honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour which Advani received way back in 2009.

Advani has also been awarded with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2006), India’s highest sporting honour.

BSFI secretary S Balasubramaniam could not think of any current sportsperson more deserving than Advani for the Padma Bhushan:

“It is very sad to hear that he has been ignored again. It is happening year after year. It is disheartening not only for him but for the entire fraternity. Looks like lobbying is what works (to get these awards). If you go by sheer performance, Pankaj should have got it long ago. Tell me a sportsperson who consistently win world titles like Pankaj. However, we will try again next year,” Balasubramaniam said.

Advani’s brother Shree too did not hide his disappointment:

“This shows the government’s tunnel vision towards cricket and Olympic sports. Apparently, you can only get the awards by lobbying or if hype is created, merit is not enough. Pankaj deserves a lot more than Padma Bhushan,” he said.

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2016 saw a series of sports biopics from Cricketer M.S. Dhoni to the latest release Dangal on the Phogats. 16-time World Billiards and Snooker Champion, Pankaj Advani expressed interest in his biopic on being urged by fans on social media platform Twitter. 

He wrote:

@PankajAdvani247
I heard somewhere that you want ranbir kapoor to play your role if a biopic is made on you.

— rahul bhambhani (@alexhiggins98) December 27, 2016

Yup, I think he’d do complete justice to the role…. https://t.co/X6gD2QxKtr

— Pankaj Advani (@PankajAdvani247) December 28, 2016

Pankaj Advani’s Story is that of grit and hard work as his mother brought him up when he lost his dad at the age of six.

“I owe all that I am today to her. The kind of struggle she went through made me believe that if someone can go through that, then anything else is possible. She is a perfect role model and I’m truly blessed to have a mother like her.”

Cue sport is not very popular in India and a biopic on the world champion would rightly shift the spotlight to some of the lesser sports in India.

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