The winning streak of Sindhis continue in sports as well. Though Sindhis are more famous for their entreprenial skills, they have also excelled in sports.

A Sindhi was the captain of the first Indian Cricket Team to defeat Australia in 1959-60. Yes, we are talking of the late G. S Ramchand, who was chosen by the Indian Cricket Board even before the Partition. He represented India in 41 test matches and was selected by the English Cricket League to play for the team from 1951-1957. The cricketer, who started his career in a match against England at Leeds in 1952, made his name long before cricket mania swept the whole country.

And who can forget the toothy smile of Narendra Hirwani, who played his debut match against West Indies in 1988. The leg break googly bowler gave the country and his community several matches and catches to be proud of. If Snooker had been part of the Olympics in Athens last year, India would have brought home a Gold Medal – thanks to a young Sindhi boy from Bangalore. Yes, we are talking of Pankaj Advani.
20 year-old Pankaj Advani is India’s youngest sportsman Champion, having won the World Snooker Championship at Jiangmen, China in October 2003, when he was just 18. The last time an Indian won that championship was 21 years ago in 1984, when the late O B Agarwal won it for India.

Like a true champion, Pankaj has gone to win another landmark title after conquering China in 2003. And this puts him in the same class as our Chess Wizard, Vishwanathan Anand. There are very few Indians indeed, who have continued their winning streak after winning one world title. But Pankaj Advani looks determined to change that sad fact.
In 2005, he became only the second cueist ever to win both the World Billiards and Snooker championships. He achieved this rare distinction by winning the Billiards title early this year in Malta. Pankaj also holds the Asian Billiards crown.
Becoming a champion at the world level in any competitive sport is a truly major achievement, and Pankaj has done the entire international Sindhi community proud.