New Delhi: Top cueist Pankaj Advani is the frontrunner ahead of Indian cricket captain Rahul Dravid and tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi for this year’s Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, country’s highest sporting honour, according to sources.

Advani, who is currently part of the Indian contingent in the World Snooker Team Championship, in San Jose, Unites States said he was very excited on hearing the news before the start of the tournament.

When asked about his reaction on being ahead of popular sports personalities like Dravid and Bhupathi, Advani said, “I had tremendous respect for this sportsperson but I am happy that the selection panel took the achievement and not popularity into consideration,” the Arjuna award winner of 2004, said.The Arjuna Award selection panel committee headed by brig. KP Singh Deo also includes shooter RVS Rathore and former hockey Olympian Leslie Claudius, is learnt to have selected the following sports personalities for this year’s awards in various disciplines.