KARACHI, Nov 20: The inaugural South Asia Association for Regional Corporation (Saarc) Snooker team championship will be held at Dhaka (Bangladesh) in February next.

Five countries including hosts Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be featuring in the week-long competition for which dates are being worked out, Ali Asghar Valika, President, Saarc Snooker Federation said Tuesday.

He said Saarc snooker body was formed during the Asian championship to promote and develop the sport in the sub-continent.

Asghar Valika said each team in the championship will comprise five players and an official and format of the event will be finalized in due course of time.

Commenting on the staging of the national championship, he said it will be held either in the first week of January or early February next.

He said dates and venue for the nationals will be finalized during the Managing Committee meeting of Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) being held later this month

He said, first the provincial cups will be staged in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta to pick qualifiers for the main rounds of the championship.

He said like last year nationals in Quetta, 48 cueists from across the country will take part in the main rounds.

Asghar Valika said year 2002 will be important for Pakistan as besides snooker, they will concentrating on preparing good Pakistan players in billiards and 9-ball Pool because country will be participating in billiards, pool and snooker events of the Asian Games in Pusan (South Korea).—APP