Defending champions Pankaj Advani [Images] (timed format), who is in line for a hattrick, and Rupesh Shah (point format) will be seen in action in the IBSF World Billiards Championship which gets underway in Bangalore on Monday.

The mega event in the points format would be held from September 1-5 and the timed format from September 6-10, tournament coordinator S Balasubramanium said on Thursday.

Local boy Advani, will try to capitalise on "home advantage" as he eyes a hat-trick here after winning both the formats in 2005 and reigning supreme in the timed format in the 2007 edition in Singapore (there was no championship in 2006).

"I have not thought about it", Advani said modestly, when asked about the possible feat at the Karnataka State Billards Association.

"I would like to win the world title for my country," the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee added.

But it's not going to be a cakewalk for Advani, who rated Singaporean Peter Gilchrist and Thai Praprut Chaithanasakun as the toughest opponents.

Besides Shah and Advani, Indian participants include Geet Sethi, Sourav Kothari, B Bhaskar, Dhruv Sitwala and Md Asim. 

Prominent overseas players who are taking part are Gary Oliver and Wayne Carey of New Zealand [Images] and Thawat Sujaritthurakarn of Thailand.

Advani said that Bangalore hosting the world event would provide an excellent platform for youngsters to display their skills, while also allowing aspiring ones to watch high quality billiards.