Twenty one-time billiards and snooker world champion Pankaj Advani receiving a memento from Hemant Dwivedi, First Secretary of Embassy of India in Qatar, during a felicitation ceremony held in Doha on Thursday.
Indian Sports Centre (ISC), an apex body of the Indian Embassy in Qatar, hosted a felicitation ceremony to honour the Indian national billiards team on Thursday.
The team was in Doha to participate in the Asian Billiards Championship 2019.
A 21-time world champion Pankaj Advani, Asian snooker champion and World Games gold medallist Aditya Mehta, Asian team snooker gold medallist Laxman Rawat, World and Asian billiards champion Sourav Kothari, Sandeep Gulati, 6 red World Snooker Championship silver medallist Kamal Chawla and head coach, former world billiards champion, Manoj Kumar Kothari were among the players and officials who were felicitated.
Nilangshu Dey, President of ISC welcomed the team and highlighted ISC’s role in promoting sport among the Indian community in Qatar. He also thanked the Indian team for their achievements in the Championship in Doha.
Hemant Dwivedi, First Secretary of Embassy of India thanked the team which includes world renowned players and said it was a great opportunity for the Indian community in Qatar to meet their beloved stars. He also thanked ISC for the support in organising the function as well as arranging fans to cheer the players during the Championship.
Advani, during his speech, thanked ISC on behalf of the team for organising the ceremony which was also attended by President of ICBF, Managing Committee Members of ISC and Presidents of various other affiliated bodies along with community leaders. Habibun Nabi, General Secretary of ISC compered the program.
