Snooker: Unheralded Sattar continues winning run

Pakistan cueist downs Shehab in 7-nation snooker event.

KARACHI:

Unseeded Abdul Sattar continued his winning run on day two of the Seven-Nation International Snooker Championship, beating UAE’s Mohammad Mustada Shehab 4-3 yesterday.

Sattar, who beat Egypt’s eighth-seed Yaser Ahmed Elsherbiny on Sunday, continued his good form to win with frame scores of 65-57, 7-74, 100-0, 38-61, 21-83, 77-16, 59-49 including a break of 100.

Sattar, playing an international event for the first time, remained confident of continuing his giant-killing spree to lead Pakistan to glory.

“I’m not too nervous,” Sattar told The Express Tribune. “With the start I’ve got, I’m looking forward to winning the trophy.”

Meanwhile, the tournament’s top-seed Hossein Vafaei Ayouri of Iran humiliated Pakistan’s Sharjeel Mehmood 4-0, who also lost his second match of the day to Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham. Seventh-seed Mohammad Al Joaker of the UAE was trounced by Pakistan number two Sultan Muhammad 4-1. Fifth-seed Saengkham thrashed local cueist Naveen Perwani 4-0, while compatriot Muhammad Sajid went down fighting against Bahrain’s Habib Subah, who won with frame scores of 17-97, 65-59, 47-55, 69-26, 14-82, 75-17 and 63-0.

Asif posts comfortable win

Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif registered a comfortable 4-0 win against Elsherbiny, including the tournament’s highest break so far of 126.

In another match, India’s third-seed Muhammad Faisal Khan whipped Pakistan’s Sohail Shehzad 4-0, while Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh sailed to a 4-1 win against local cueist Vishan Gir.

Meanwhile, International Billiards and Snooker Federation President Pascal Guillaume and Secretary Mohammad Kammah were pleased with the playing conditions. “We’re impressed with the arrangements here,” Kammah told The Express Tribune. “We would like to promote the sport in this part of the world.”

The Pakistan and Billiards and Snooker Association President Alamgir Sheikh added that the body will bid for next year’s Asian Championship and is hopeful of a positive response.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2012.