DOHA: A quartet of Pakistan players enjoyed a resounding start to the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Doha on Saturday.

Awaisullah Muneer, Mohammad Asif, Asjad Iqbal and Mohammad Naseem Akhtar recorded impressive wins to kick-start their campaigns.

Awaisullah, who won the 6-red title in Riyadh in July, recovered from a slow start to defeat Thailand’s Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn 4-2 [6-103(52), 100(68)-00, 77(83)-12, 97-00, 36-77(76), 82(76)-27].

Lertsattayathorn took the first frame with a break of 52, but the 31-year-old Awaisullah fought back, compiling breaks of 68, 83, and 76, in the second, third and final frame, respectively, to seal the victory.

Meanwhile, Asif, a two-time amateur world champion, also impressed, thrashing India’s Kamal Chawla 4-1 [135(100)-00, 114(66)-19, 01-56, 77(52)-41), 72(63)-16].

The 42-year-old Asif’s century break (100) in the first frame set the tone for his victory. The seasoned veteran displayed his experience as he also registered long breaks of 66, 52 and 63 to record a commanding win.

Asjad, the 31-year-old current national champion, outclassed Isle of Man’s Darryl Hill 4-1 [87-15, 100(84)-01, 79-00, 42-59, 74(51)-60(60)]. The Pakistan player’s breaks of 84 and 51 proved decisive, despite Hill’s resistance in the fifth frame.

Another national cueist, Naseem dominated Qatar’s Mhanaa Alobaidli 4-0, crafting breaks of 52 and 54 as he showcased his rich form [73-06, 94(52)-30, 65(54)-06, 74-14].

The championship features 48 players divided into 12 groups, with the top two players from each group qualifying for the knockout round. The top eight group winners will progress directly to the last 16, while the remaining 16 players compete in the Last 24 round.

The championship concludes on Nov 9.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Anti-women state
Updated 25 Nov, 2024

Anti-women state

GLOBALLY, women are tormented by the worst tools of exploitation: rape, sexual abuse, GBV, IPV, and more are among...
IT sector concerns
25 Nov, 2024

IT sector concerns

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ambitious plan to increase Pakistan’s IT exports from $3.2bn to $25bn in the ...
Israel’s war crimes
25 Nov, 2024

Israel’s war crimes

WHILE some powerful states are shielding Israel from censure, the court of global opinion is quite clear: there is...
Short-changed?
Updated 24 Nov, 2024

Short-changed?

As nations continue to argue, the international community must recognise that climate finance is not merely about numbers.
Overblown ‘threat’
24 Nov, 2024

Overblown ‘threat’

ON the eve of the PTI’s ‘do or die’ protest in the federal capital, there seemed to be little evidence of the...
Exclusive politics
24 Nov, 2024

Exclusive politics

THERE has been a gradual erasure of the voices of most marginalised groups from Pakistan’s mainstream political...