Trailing 2-14 in the decider against Railways' Srikant Bakshi, Lancy fought back to clinch the tie, and earned Maharashtra the Rahimtoolah Cup.Alas, the State will miss his services in the coming years. If the babus at his office, Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), push his papers fast enough, the 22-year-old former junior National champion (1992) will shift base to Bangalore in the first week of April. That will allow him to practice round the clock at Prakash Padukone's BPL Academy.

The 6'2'' tall Lancy told The Indian Express, ``This move is going to be good for my career. In Mulund, I have no one to practise with. There, I will be sparring with the best Gopi (Chand), Nikhil (Kanetkar), Sachin (Ratti) and Ajit (Wijetilak).'' In anticipation, Lancy had left behind his bike, a Splendor, at the Academy during his staythere in January. Moving to Bangalore will also help Lancy honour his official duties. ``I won't have to take leave from office to train at the academy as I do now. In Bangalore, distances being what they are, I should be able to attend office more regularly.''

Lancy has been guilty of not living up to the promise of a junior champion. A good run in 1995, when he was ranked three in the country, and was selected for the Thomas Cup squad, gave way to a slump.

``I have a tendency to take ill every now and then. In the past three years, I have had four bouts of malaria,'' Lancy explained. To add to his woes, Lancy contracted a heel injury soon after winning the National Games title in 1997.

``The bone spur in my right heel had grown, and every now and then, it would tear the cushioning in my heel. The doctors delayed treatment by a year saying I just needed rest. Finally, I got it operated.''

Lancy, who now plays with a cushioning in his shoes, says he hopes to rise up the rankings again. ``At theAcademy, I will find the motivation to train continuously, as I will have the others to emulate. Here, since I am alone, I find myself skipping practice every now and then.''