KARACHI, Nov 1: The 29th edition of Red and White National Snooker Championship will be held at Lahore from Jan 14 to 23, Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) announced on Saturday.

The event will be held under the auspices of Punjab Billiards and Snooker Association, joint secretary PBSA Arif Taherbhoy said.

Country’s leading 48 cueists drawn in eight pools will be featuring in the ten-day competition with showdown final on Jan 23.

Twenty-four players on the top of the national ranking chart are directly placed in the nationals championship while remaining 24 slots will be filled with provincial events in Sindh, Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan.

Top two players from each pool after round robin league activity will advance in the pre-quarterfinal round.

Former World Champion Muhammad Yousuf will defend his crown in the event which will more than Rs 200,000 in prize money.

The event will be of more significant as Saleh Muhammad will appear in his first national after finishing runners-up in the World Snooker Championship in Jiangmen City (China) last month.

Prior to nationals, Pakistan will clash with arch-rival India in three Test match snooker series scheduled to be held here from Dec 16 to 20.—APP