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Pankaj Advani Eyes Fourth Straight Title at Prestigious CCI Snooker Classic

The prestigious CCI Snooker Classic 2026 begins on March 6, featuring India's top cue sports talent. Reigning champion Pankaj Advani, a 27-time IBSF world champion, will be aiming to win the title for the fourth consecutive time. The tournament features a significant prize pool of ₹13.5 lakh, with the winner earning ₹3.5 lakh. The event will progress through qualifying stages before a main knockout round, culminating in the final on March 22.

Key Points: CCI Snooker Classic 2026: Advani Leads Top Indian Cuesport Stars

  • Pankaj Advani seeks fourth straight title
  • ₹13.5 lakh total prize pool
  • 16 qualifiers to meet 16 seeds
  • Final scheduled for March 22
  • Features top players like Ishpreet Singh
2 min read

Cream of Indian cuesport in fray in CCI Snooker Classic

27-time world champion Pankaj Advani headlines the CCI Snooker Classic 2026, aiming for a fourth consecutive title against India's top players.

"The cream of Indian cue sport, including big guns like 27-time IBSF World Champion Pankaj Advani - Tournament Intro"

Mumbai, March 3

The cream of Indian cue sport, including big guns like 27-time IBSF World Champion Pankaj Advani, will be the star attraction in the prestigious CCI Snooker Classic 2026, which is set to commence at the iconic Cricket Club of India's Wilson Jones Billiards Hall from March 6.

Advani, the reigning National and Asian snooker champion, has clinched the last three titles in succession in the biggest snooker event in Western India. Besides Advani, Ishpreet Singh, Aditya Mehta, Kamal Chawla, Faisal Khan, and Brijesh Damani, among others, are scheduled to take part in the tournament.

The tournament will start with the qualifying rounds, which will be played over three stages. Sixteen winners from the third stage will earn the right to challenge the 16 seeded players in the fourth stage, the main knockout draw.

With a total prize pool of ₹13.5 lakh, the tournament promises intense competition across the first three stages. The knockout round promises to witness sensational battles for supremacy. The champion will earn a purse of ₹3.5 lakh, while the runner-up will receive ₹1.75 lakh.

The final is slated to be played on March 22.

In last year's edition, Advani had scripted a remarkable turnaround, showcasing his resilience and intense fighting spirit as he made a grand comeback to beat Ishpreet Singh Chadha 8-6 in the final of the Rs 13.5 all-India snooker tournament. Advani triumphed 15-57, 26-101, 18-75, 100-25, 36-93, 118-0, 59-68, 45-77, 64-47, 93-72, 70 -60, 75-32, 73-32, 75-47 in a hard-fought final played over three gruelling sessions.

For his sterling effort, Advani was presented with the champions' trophy and a cheque of Rs 3.5 lakh, while Ishpreet received the runner-up trophy and an award of Rs 1.75 lakh.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
It's great to see snooker getting coverage like this. The prize money of ₹13.5 lakh is quite good for a national tournament. Hope this inspires more youngsters to take up the sport professionally.
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Vikram M
Last year's final scoreline shows what a fighter Advani is. Coming back from behind against a tough player like Ishpreet Singh... that's champion mentality. But I'd also love to see a new winner this time. The competition needs more stars.
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Rohit P
CCI always hosts top-class events. Wish I could be in Mumbai to watch it live. The qualifying rounds sound brutal – only 16 out of many will make the main draw. That's where the real drama will be.
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Kavya N
While it's fantastic to see Advani dominate, I respectfully feel the article focuses too much on him. Players like Aditya Mehta and Kamal Chawla are also stalwarts who deserve equal spotlight. A more balanced preview would be better.
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Michael C
The structure of the tournament with three qualifying stages seems very well organized. It ensures only the best in form reach the main event. Looking forward to some high-quality snooker!

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