Seven countries give the nod for Asian snooker events

Pakistan to host continental Team and 6-Red Championships.

KARACHI:

As many as seven countries, including India, have confirmed their participation in the upcoming Jubilee Insurance 2nd Asian Team Event and 3rd 6-Red Asian Snooker Championship, which will be hosted in Karachi in August.

The Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) affirmed that Afghanistan, UAE, Syria, Qatar, India, Thailand and Bahrain will participate in both events that will be played simultaneously from August 17-23 at the Avari Towers.

“India has registered a contingent of 10 people, comprising nine players and a coach, for the Asian Team and the 6-Red event in Karachi,” said PBSA President Alamgir Sheikh.

“On the other hand, Pakistan will also field nine players for both championships and two standby players for the team event. Subject to the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports’ (ACBS) approval, we will enter four teams for Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, the ACBS has extended the last date of submission of entries till Sunday, July 27.

Defending champ Asif relishes home advantage

Former IBSF world champion Mohammad Asif will be defending his Asian 6-Red crown, which he had won in Doha last year.

Asif said that defending his title on home soil will be both an advantage and an increased responsibility for him.

“I’ll be defending my crown in Pakistan, which is a big opportunity as well as a source of pressure for me,” Asif told The Express Tribune.

“Playing in home conditions and in front of my nation’s crowd gives me an additional advantage, and I want to make most of it.

“It’s a golden chance to become the Asian 6-Red Champion for the second year running, but this means there will be more responsibility on me as well. There will be high expectations and I need to fulfil them.”

Asif, along with Mohammad Sajjad recently lost the title of World Team Champions as they lost the final while defending their crown in Egypt.

However, Asif remains undeterred and feels that both he and Sajjad had the ability to bounce back.

“Titles are won and lost. It’s a part and parcel of the game, but the main thing is to remain consistent and hopefully we can continue the good work going into the Asian events,” he concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2014.

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