IBSF World Championship: Changezi, Sattar added to four-member squad

Pakistan quartet including Asif, Sajjad to travel to Egypt next month

KARACHI: The Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) has selected Islamabad-based Shahram Changezi over Khurram Agha due to his consistent performances, while Abdul Sattar also earned a place in Pakistan’s four-member squad to participate in the upcoming IBSF World Championship, which will take place from November 10-21 in Egypt.

Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sajjad had already qualified for the mega event by winning and finishing runner-up respectively in the recently concluded NBP Ranking Championship.

Asif topped the newly-released national ranking charts, Sajjad came in second and Sattar is at number three followed by Khurram. However, fifth-ranked Changezi has been preferred over fourth-ranked Khurram, courtesy of a fruitful year that saw him performing well in international tournaments along with Asjad Iqbal.

Read: 7th NBP Ranking Championship Asif wins closely-contested thriller to pocket title



“Changezi has been brilliant in the last 12 months,” PBSA President Alamgir Sheikh told The Express Tribune. “He has won medals in Pakistan and Iran, so he fully deserves a shot at the individual world championship. Moreover, Sattar has been a consistent performer, has remained among the top six cueists in the country, and now his third place in the new rankings has sealed his spot for the tournament in Egypt.”

The PBSA chief added that although Asjad finished 27th on the national chart, he was one of the candidates for the world event after putting in impressive shows in the IBSF World 6-Reds and Team Championships that were held in Pakistan in August.

Asjad won the silver medal in the IBSF Team Championship and earned a bronze in the 6-Reds event.

Read: NBP Snooker Championship Top two cueists to go for IBSF world event

Sheikh urged the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to increase the game’s grant for the world championship to ensure participation of all four players.

Meanwhile, a practice camp will be held from October 21 – November 8 at a local hotel in Karachi, while the team is scheduled to travel to Egypt on November 9.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2015.

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