SangSom 6-Red World Championship: Masih to represent Pakistan in Thailand

Pakistan cueist eyeing strong finish in six-day pro-am event

KARACHI: Asian 6-Red Championship quarter-finalist Babar Masih will be representing Pakistan at the SangSom 6-Red World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand and is scheduled to leave for the competition today.

The 28-year-old, who also won the national ranking championship in June, will be the sole participant from Pakistan at the 6-Red World Championship, which is an invitational event.

The Rawalpindi-based cueist is placed in Group E with five other players, while the six-day event features a total of 48 players.

The championship boasts a plethora of big names in snooker and also includes 2015 World Snooker Championship winner Stuart Bingham of England. But that has not fazed Masih, who is eyeing a strong finish in the event.

“It’s a great opportunity and hopefully I’ll make the most of it. I’m proud that I got the invitation and I’m prepared for this championship,” said Masih, who will be playing his first match against Thailand’s former professional player Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm on September 5.

Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) media co-ordinator Naveed Kapadia, meanwhile, said that Masih’s past experience in international events will be handy in Thailand.

“Babar is expected to have a good run at the championship,” Kapadia told The Express Tribune. “He has also represented Pakistan in Abu Dhabi at the Asian Championship earlier this year, so we know he can perform well. It is an invitational tournament and he was the one from Pakistan to get the opportunity this time.”

Meanwhile, two officials, PBSA Vice-President Jawed Karim and officiating referee Shabbir Hussain, will accompany Masih to the event.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2016.

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