Another world championship. Another flag raised by a man who has made the billiards table his personal stage for over two decades. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday, October 23, 2026, congratulated Pankaj Advani on clinching the 2026 World Billiards Championship title, defeating England's Robert Hall in the final to add yet another gold chapter to a career already overflowing with them.

The man, the cue, the record haul

Pankaj Advani has been India's most decorated cue sports athlete for more than two decades, accumulating world titles across both billiards and snooker formats — a feat unmatched in the sport's history. His combination of clinical long-potting, meticulous break-building, and composure under pressure has made him a perennial fixture in world finals, not just a one-time champion. The victory over Robert Hall of England in the 2026 final signals that the standard has not dropped even slightly.

CM Fadnavis described the win as 'another glorious chapter to India's sporting legacy,' tagging Advani directly and calling the achievement 'amazing.' For a politician who governs a state with deep roots in sporting culture, the public acknowledgement reflects both personal admiration and a broader political habit of amplifying Indian athletic wins on the world stage.

Why Advani's longevity stands apart

What separates Advani from most world champions is not the number of titles — remarkable as that is — but the span across which he has won them. Competing at the elite level for over twenty years, through generational changes in competition and evolving formats, he has remained consistently at or near the summit of world billiards. Each new title is less a surprise and more a confirmation of an athlete who simply refuses to plateau.

The World Billiards Championship, organised under the World Billiards Federation, is the sport's premier annual test, drawing the best players from England, India, and beyond. India has punched well above its weight in cue sports largely because of the trail Advani blazed — inspiring a generation of young players to pick up the cue professionally.

India's cue sports moment

Indian political leaders — from the Prime Minister's office down to state capitals — have made a consistent practice of publicly celebrating international sporting victories, using social media to share the moment with millions of followers. CM Fadnavis's post is part of that pattern, but Advani's win carries extra resonance: this is not a breakout story but a continuing saga, the kind that reminds a country how rare and precious it is when an athlete sustains excellence at the highest level year after year.

Fadnavis wished Advani 'continued success and many more championship victories' — a wish that, given the champion's track record, feels less like a platitude and more like a reasonable forecast.