Pakistan cueists impress at IBSF World Team Cup

Both teams top respective groups to go into round-of-16 as favourites

KARACHI: Pakistani cueists shone at the IBSF World Team Cup in Doha as all four players in two teams qualified for the round-of-16 of the inaugural event on Wednesday.

Muhammad Sajjad and Asjad Iqbal defeated India’s team 2 in a close encounter, losing the first and third frames but claiming a 3-2 win 36-67, 68-13, 34-83, 67-28(53), 68-4.

The duo then outclassed Poland 3-0 to top Group C.

"It has been a good tournament for us so far," Sajjad told The Express Tribune from Doha. "We've been able to win the matches and competition here is always tough, but we are on a great run and so is the other Pakistan team.”



Sajjad is eyeing an all-Pakistan final. “It would be great if we can repeat what we did at the IBSF World Championships last year in Egypt,” he said. “We are waiting for the draws and hopefully the draws will be kind on us and we won’t have to face each other before the final.”

Meanwhile, newly crowned national champion Muhammad Asif and his partner Babar Masih also claimed two wins in two, first defeating Russia 3-1 in their opener before downing Iraq 3-0 in their second Group A game.

The first-ever IBSF World Team Cup has 24 teams divided into eight groups, with the round-of-16 set to take place on Thursday.