KARACHI, April 17: Karachi Club “B” led by former world and Asian snooker amateur champion Mohammad Yousuf, emerged champions in the Karachi Club’s First KC Inter Club One Frame snooker championship routing Area Snooker Club 4-0 in the final played on Sunday evening at the Karachi Club snooker parlour.

Earlier in the round robin league Karachi Club “B” were tied with Area Snooker Club 3-3 then humiliating their “A” string 4-2 in the last league match, emerged on top of the table with 27 points.

Area Snooker Club were surprisingly held 3-3 by the Karachi Club “C” outfit but still managed to bag the second spot by accumulating 22 points. Karachi Club “A” putting up a disappointing performance losing to Area Snooker Club and their “B” string by 4-2 margins had to be content with the third spot with 18 points, with Karachi Club “C” finishing fourth with 15 points.

In their last match in the round robin Leage, Karachi Gymkhana were held to a 3-3 draw by the fighting outfit from Muslim Gymkhana and finished fifth with eight points while Muslim Gymkhana brought up the rear with six points.

This tournament introduced into the country for the very first time, was actually the brain child of Jawed H. Karim, Convenor Sports “B” Karachi Club and was indeed a tremendous success.

Jawed H. Karim addressing the snooker gathering said within two months time another tournament like this will be played for a total sum of Rs.two lacs, which will also include more teams.

When the final match began in pin drop silence, many were of the opinion that Area Snooker Club boasting of national seeded ranking players like Salman Sheikh, Farukh Usman, Kamran Razzak and skipper Irfan Rasheed Khan would be going all out to win this tournament. But little did they realise that Karachi Club “B” led by Mohammad Yousuf, and comprising of Vishan Gir, Dr. Aneel Bherwani and Qasim Kamani, also rated their chances of winning the tournament very high.

In the first doubles match, Salman and Farukh from Area Snooker Club were ideally placed to beat Mohammad Yousuf and Aneel Bherwani leading by 34 points with two reds and the coloured balls to pot. But Farukh in a haste missed the red near the centre pocket and Yousuf dislaying the stamp of class of a world champion, cleared the table which enabled KC”B” take a 1-0 lead winning the frame 64/47.

Then in the second doubles, Vishan chalking up a quick break of 51, enabled him and his partner Qasim Kamani get the better of Irfan Rasheed Khan and Kamran Razzak 78/32 to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.

In the singles, Vishan Gir continuing where he had left off in the doubles, had a magnificent break of 69 and following it up with another 21 points on the trot, redu ced Farukh Usman to a mere passenger 90/4.

Salman had beaten Yousuf earlier in the round robin league, but any illusions he had of winning again was soon dashed to the ground when Yousuf came through an easy 64/6 winner.

With Karachi Club “B” emerging winners by a 4-0 margin it was unnecessary to play the last two singles matches between Aneel Bherwani v/s Kamran Razzak and Qasim Kamani playing Irfan Rasheed Khan.

Later Qasim Omer, the secretary of the Karachi Club and a keen snooker cueist himself in days gone by, presented the winners cheque for Rs.40,000 along with the Winners Cup and mementoes to the Karachi Club “B” squad. Area Snooker Club took the runners-up cheque of Rs.20,000, a glittering trophy and mementoes for their team members. Karachi Club “A” the favourites, for the tournament finished third and received a cash prize of Rs.8000 with mementoes while KC “C” received Rs.2000 and mementoes. Karachi Gymkhana and Muslim Gymkhana also received mementoes. Atiq Latif Bux, scion of the Late and great Latif Amir Bux received a cheque of Rupees two thousand for chalking up the highest break of 82 during the tournament.

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