With cricket being the most followed sport in India, every other game is overshadowed by either media, or public, or by many other factors. However, there’s no one to be blamed, as following and liking a certain game is simply individual.
These days, especially, post the recent Olympics, people on social media started bashing the authorities for the inadequate facilities offered to the sportspersons. Some are legit, but some sounded bit excessive and illogical.
In a row of illogical events, Indian snooker champ Pankaj Arjan Advani landed himself into a heated conversation with few cricket fans. Pankaj Advani is the man to turn to when it comes to cue sports in India. He has done the country proud by winning gold medals in the 2006 Doha and the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.
Advani has the unique record of achieving a hat-trick of hat-tricks in the game, winning the World, Asian and Indian championships in the years 2005, 2008 and 2012. His achievements have also earned him the Arjuna Award in 2004, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2006, and the Padma Shri award in 2009 from the Indian government.
The professional English Billiards player took to Twitter to express his happiness and congratulated junior snooker players Anupama R and Keerthana P for finishing as no 1 and no 2 in the U16 World Open Girls Snooker Championship.
The tweet read, ” Congratulations to our girls Anupama R and Keerthana P for finishing no 1 and 2 in the World Open U-16 Girls Snooker C’ships #ProudIndian.”
Congratulations to our girls Anupama R and Keerthana P for finishing no 1 and 2 in the World Open U-16 Girls Snooker C’ships 🥇🥈#ProudIndian
— Pankaj Advani (@PankajAdvani247) October 9, 2017
But the tweet ended up bit displeasing to netizens especially cricket fans.
One of the Twitter users tweeted saying, “It is very heartening to see our players and athletes doing well in different sports/games now apart from cricket.”
It is very heartening to see our players and athletes doing well in different sports/games now apart from cricket. 🇮🇳
— Harshraj Gohil 🇮🇳 (@gohilhr) October 9, 2017
However, Pankaj did not seem to have impressed and thought of shutting up fans who believe that the achievement of the athletes in the other, less popular sports are not as much as that of cricket, which is most widely followed the sport in the country.
He then replied saying that the non-cricket sportspersons in India have always been doing well, implying that it was the lack of interest from fans that undermines their achievement. Pankaj’s tweet read, “They/we were always doing well, actually better than … !!!”
They/we were always doing well, actually better than … !!! https://t.co/wpu6uW64vA
— Pankaj Advani (@PankajAdvani247) October 9, 2017
The two fans seemingly were of the opinion that since there is a lot more competition between the Indian players in cricket, the cricketers’ achievements were greater. One of the fans even went to the extent of calling Advani “bitter”, over the extra popularity that cricket generates in India.
Have u tried playing tennis, golf or Snooker?? Also, let’s not forget number of countries competing in truly global sports!! https://t.co/a531lEXKfZ
— Pankaj Advani (@PankajAdvani247) October 19, 2017
Another fan even went on to post a flurry of tweets, explaining that it crowd pressure that makes cricket tougher, according to him.
For some cricket and soccer is hard and for others snooker and tennis etc.
Pointless debate
Didn’r expect such narrow mindedness frm u— cricket freak (@cricloverakku) October 19, 2017
Fr ex, m very good at chess nd cricket, have played both at proffessional level
But found chess 2 be easier because of no audience pressure— cricket freak (@cricloverakku) October 19, 2017
u only factr d skill involved,bt not other variables involved in spectator sport
When 50 thousand are watching live its a diff ball game sir— cricket freak (@cricloverakku) October 19, 2017
Humans tend to execute their skills much better when no one is watching
Under pressure everyone crumbles
My personal experience— cricket freak (@cricloverakku) October 19, 2017
So believe me when lots of people are watching and screaming and your one move can be fatal, people piss in their pants
— cricket freak (@cricloverakku) October 19, 2017
However, Pankaj Advani had the perfect response for this fan.
Why don’t u come take my place and represent India in the forthcoming World Billiards/snooker Championship? Thanks for the compliment btw 👍 https://t.co/WMK7rp58Zv
— Pankaj Advani (@PankajAdvani247) October 19, 2017
While these little conversations on Twitter bring out the general lack of interest in other sports in India, Pankaj Advani will be looking to put all these behind him, and represent India in the World Billiard Championship, which is set to get underway in Leeds, United Kingdom.
Related Article: Pankaj Advani Attempts To Criticize Cricket, Instead Gets Roasted