New Delhi, April 30 -- The Sports Authority of India (SAI) sanctioned financial assistance for participation in the IBSF World Men's Billiards Championship in Ireland, backing the 2026 edition World Champion Sourav Kothari, multiple-time world champion Pankaj Advani and coach Ashok Shandilya.

The championship, which concluded on April 29, saw the trio take part in the Ireland competition thanks to funding by the government under the Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) scheme, according to a release.

SAI approved a total expenditure of approximately Rs 6.46 lakh to the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) towards the team's participation, covering key components such as travel, boarding, lodging and other compet...