KARACHI: National champion Shahid Aftab and former Asian No 2 Mohammad Sajjad leaves for Bangkok on Saturday to feature in the US $ 700,000 Snooker World Cup being held there from July 11 to 17.

Twenty teams, each consisting of two players, will vie for honours in the event in which every player has been guaranteed US $ 3,750.

The teams are Wales, Scotland, England, China, Australia, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong and Republic of Ireland (top eight teams automatically invited from the eight highest ranked players on the official world rankings from eight different countries); Thailand A and B (host country awarded two teams); Germany, Brazil and Belgium (three wildcard teams); Malta and Poland (based on results from the European team championship 2011); Pakistan, Afghanistan and India (based on results from the Asian championship 2011); Egypt (based on winner of 2010 African championship), UAE (based on winner of 2010 Middle East championship).

President of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA), Alamgir Shaikh, told Dawn that Shahid will return after the event while Sajjad will travel to Korat province to defend his title that he won last year.

It is pertinent to mention that the former Asian No 2 inflicted 5-4 defeat on Thailand’s Passakorn Suwannawat in the final to become first Asian wildcard to land a Thai ranking title.

Meanwhile, Sajjad will miss the second ranking event of the year which cue off at the Karachi Club from July 20. He was knocked out 6-2 by Imran Shahzad in the semi-final of the 36th National Snooker Championship held in February.