Doha, April 29 (IANS) Aditya Mehta defeated compatriot Pankaj Advani in the final to give India the Asian Snooker Championship title after eight years here Sunday.
In an all-India final, Aditya was finally lucky for the third time. Aditya and Pankaj started off a bit nervous considering the history they have when playing each other.
Aditya won a crucial second frame with a 49 clearance after being 40 down to level 1-1, Pankaj struck back by taking the lead 3-2. Soon after, Aditya went up to level 3-3 and take the lead 6-3 with a break of 60 in the ninth frame. Mehta sealed the match with 7-5.
Aditya is the third Indian to lift the Asian snooker title and gets the championship trophy home after an eight year long wait.
‘I feel extremely thrilled about winning the Gold. After my earlier attempts where I won 2 silvers, I was determined to get the Gold this year which is why it means much more to me. It gives me immense pleasure to know that I am the third Indian to have won such a prestigious title,’ said Aditya.