29th Asian Snooker Championship: Thumbnail sketches of Pakistan team
KARACHI, April 24: Following are the thumb-nail sketches of Pakistan snooker team that features in the 17-nation 29th Jubilee Insurance Asian Snooker Championship which begins at hotel Sheraton on Saturday.
Mohammad AsifAge: 31 yearsEmployment: National Bank of PakistanInternational achievements: Won world amateur snooker title at Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2012; runner-up 12-nation international snooker tournament at Dubai in 2012.
Featured in world amateur snooker championship twice — 2009 in India and 2012 in Bulgaria; Asian championship twice — 2009 in China and 2012 in Qatar.
Domestic achievements: Won national snooker championship twice — 2009 and 2012 — won fourth national ranking tournaments in 2011 and 2012.Highest break: 139.
Mohammad SajjadAge: 27 yearsEmployment: National Bank of PakistanInternational achievements: Runner-up Asian snooker championship at Thailand in 2010; won Korat Cup, a Thai ranking event, in 2010; placed third in seven-nation international tournament at Karachi in 2012; featured in 6Red ball tournament at Thailand in 2008; featured in 6Red ball tournament at Thailand in 2009; featured in Shangai Masters, China, in 2010; featured in 6Red ball tournament at Thailand in 2011; featured in world ranking tournament at Thailand in 2011.
Featured in world amateur snooker championship twice — 2009 in India and 2010 in Syria; Asian championship thrice — 2008 in Dubai, 2009 in China and 2010 in Thailand; Asian Games team event bronze Guangzhou, China, 2010.
Domestic achievements: Won national snooker championship twice — 2008 and 2010; finished runner-up once in 2009; won NBP ranking tournament in 2009, won third jubilee ranking tournament in 2009.Highest break: 134.
Imran ShehzadAge: 38 yearsEmployment: Runs snooker parlour in LahoreInternational achievements: Featured in world amateur snooker championship thrice — 2007 in Thailand, 2010 in Syria and 2011 in India; Asian championship thrice — 2004 in Jordan, 2006 in Sri Lanka and 2011 in India; three Asian Games 2002 in Busan, 2006 in Doha and 2010 in Guangzhou (team event bronze); featured in 6Red ball tournament 2011.
Domestic achievements: Finished runner-up in national snooker championship four times in 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2013; won Del Monte ranking tournament in 2010, won NBP ranking tournament in 2011 and third Jubilee Insurance ranking tournament in 2011; won 9Red ball billiards in 2004; won Punjab Cup in 1997.Highest break: 137.
Hamza AkbarAge: 19 yearsEmployment: AudionicInternational achievements: Featured in world under-21 snooker championship at Iran in 2009; Asian under-21 at India in 2013.
Domestic achievements: Won national snooker championship in 2013; won Punjab Cup seniors and under-21 in 2012; won under-21 Punjab Cup in 2010; runner-up in national under-21 snooker championship in 2009.Highest break: 125.Shahid AftabAge: 31 yearsEmployment: works in a snooker club in FaisalabadInternational achievements: Featured in Asian snooker championship at India in 2011, featured in world amateur snooker championship at Thailand in 2011; featured in Asian team event at Dubai in 2011 and Pak-Iran snooker series in 2011.
Domestic achievements: Won Punjab Cup in 2011; won national snooker championship in 2011.Highest break: 133.
Abu SaimAge: 32 yearsEmployment: Runs snooker parlour in SialkotInternational achievements: Featured in Asian snooker championship at Karachi in 2001.
Domestic achievements: Won a national ranking tournament in 2005.Highest break: 122
Abdul SattarAge: 28 yearsEmployment: —International achievements: Featured in seven-nation tournament at Karachi in 2012.
Domestic achievements: Won Sindh Cup in 2010.Highest break: 111
Babar MasihAge: 26 yearsEmployment: —International achievements: —Domestic achievements: Won Punjab Cup in 2012.Highest break: 116.