India’s most decorated cue sports player, Pankaj Advani, has been given the top seeding in the Rs 12.5 lakh prizemoney CCI Snooker Classic 2024, organized by the Cricket Club of India. The tournament is scheduled to commence at the CCI’s Sir Wilson Jones billiards hall in Mumbai on Monday. Advani, who is the defending champion, is aiming to win back-to-back titles and has a strong record at the CCI.
Advani has won 27 World Championship crowns and is hoping to continue his success at the CCI Snooker Classic 2024. Last year, he clinched both the CCI Snooker Classic and CCI Billiards Classic titles, making the CCI a happy hunting ground for him. However, he is expected to face stiff competition from a strong field of high-quality snooker players from India and abroad.
Other contenders for the title include India’s National champion Saurav Kothari, former National champion Ishpreet Singh Chadda, and former National champion Aditya Mehta. Overseas players, such as World IBSF Masters champion Habib Subah from Bahrain, and a couple of England legends, will also aim to win the championship.
The tournament offers a prize of Rs three lakh for the winner and Rs 1.5 lakh for the runner-up. Cash awards will also be given to players reaching the round of 64. Former women’s national champion Amee Kamani has also been directly seeded into the main draw.
In addition to Advani and the other mentioned players, several others have been directly seeded into the main draw, including Krish Bajaj, Digvijay Kadian, Anurag Giri, Rahul Sachdev, and many more.
The CCI Snooker Classic 2024 promises to be an exciting and competitive event, with top players from India and around the world vying for the prestigious title. The tournament will showcase the skills and talent of some of the best snooker players in the sport, and fans can expect intense matches and thrilling competition throughout the event.
