Snooker: Majid closes in on second round

Cueist wins fourth match at U21 snooker event.

KARACHI: Pakistan cueist Mohammad Majid registered another victory at the IBSF World U21 Snooker Championship, defeating New Zealand’s Rogan Beedle 4-0 in their group encounter played in Wuxi, China.

Majid, who has now won four of his five matches in the tournament, is just another win away from sealing a place in the next round.

Meanwhile, his teammate Hunain Amir lost his match, going down 4-2 to Belgium cueist Jurian Jeusdens. Amir, Pakistan junior national champion, is now looking at a first-round exit from the tournament after losing his second match.

Pakistan team manager and referee Shabbir Daruwala praised Majid after his impressive run despite being placed in a tough group. The official added that the hard work, however, needs to continue.

“Majid has been winning matches against tough opponents but he hasn’t been able to hit big breaks,” Shabbir told The Express Tribune. “I told him to wrap up his matches anyway possible since it’s the qualification that matters most right now. But now since he’s almost assured a spot in the next round, he will definitely show his class because he is not under pressure anymore.”

While Majid’s performance was praised, the team manager said that Amir needed experience at a major international event. To a query on Amir’s preparations being hindered since he did not take part in any national snooker ranking events prior to the championship, Shabbir said it cost the cueist vital match practice. “It’s one of the reasons why he’s not performed that well but the main thing is that he is up against top players who are far better and at 16, the exposure will do him a world of good.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2012.