KARACHI: The country’s top cueists make their second appearance in domestic event after five month layoff when the ninth National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Ranking Snooker Cup cues off at the bank’s sports complex on Tuesday.

It is pertinent to mention that no domestic competition has taken place after the 42nd National Snooker Championship that was held from March 12 to 21.

With the staying away of national junior under-18 and under-21 semi-finalist Mohammad Rafiq of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa owing to ill health, the number of participants has been reduced to 34, including three juniors.

The three juniors include the junior world champion Mohammad Naseem Akhtar, Omer Farooq and Sheikh Mudassir.

The players have been drawn into eight groups and the top two from each will propel into the knockout pre quarter-finals. The final is slated on Aug 22.

Former world amateur snooker champion Mohammad Asif will defend his title.

Groups:

A: Mohammad Sajjad (Punjab), Mohammad Ishtiaq (Sindh), Agha Bilawal (Sindh), Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (Punjab).

B: Asjad Iqbal (Punjab), Mubashir Raza (Punjab), Amir Sohail (Khyber pakhtunkhwa), Shahid Shafiq (Punjab).

C: Khurram Agha (Sindh), Abdul Sattar (Sindh), Munawwar Khaliq (Islamabad), Haris tahir (Punjab).

D: Nadir Miraan (Punjab), Imran Shehzad (Punjab), Mohammad Majid Ali (Punjab), Shah Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).

E: Shahid Aftab (Punjab), Mohammad Ijaz (Punjab), Sultan Mohammad (Sindh), Mohammad Saqib (Punjab).

F: Sohail Shehzad (Sindh), Mohammad Asif (Punjab), Abu Saim (Punjab), Aakash Rafique (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Umer Farooq (Punjab).

G: Mohammad Ahsan javaid (Punjab), Babar Masih (Punjab), Mohammad Asif Toba (Punjab), Sharjeel Mahmood (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).

H: Shahram Changezi (Islamabad), Mohammad Bilal (Punjab), Zulfiqar A. Qadir (Sindh), Mohammad Faizan (Sindh), Shaikh Mohammad Mudassir (Punjab).

Tuesday’s fixtures: At 10am: Asjad Iqbal (Punjab) v Shahid Shafiq (Punjab); Mubashir Raza (Punjab) v Amir Sohail (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); Babar Masih (Punjab) v Mohammad Asif Toba (Punjab).

At 12noon: Khurram H. Agha (Sindh) v Haris Tahir (Punjab); Abdul Sattar (Sindh) v Munawwar Khaliq (Islamabad); Sohail Shehzad (Sindh) vUmer Farooq (Punjab); Mohammad Asif (Punjab) v Abu Saim (Punjab).

At 2pm: Nadir Mirran (Punjab) vShah Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); Imran Shehzad (Punjab) vMohammad Majid Ali (Punjab); Shahid Aftab (Punjab) vMohammad Saqib (Punjab); Mohammad Ijaz (Punjab) vSultan Muhammad (Sindh).

At 4pm: Mohammad Sajjad (Punjab) vMuhammad Naseem Akhtar (Punjab); Mohammad Ishtiaq (Sindh) vAgha Bilawal (Sindh); Shahram Changezi (Islamabad) vShaikh Mohammad Mudassir (Punjab); Mohammad Bilal (Punjab) vZulfiqar A. Qadir (Sindh).

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2017