05 October 2004	Tuesday	19 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Oct 4: Pakistan's leading cueist and national billiards champion Saleh Muhammad will miss both national pool and billiards championship which break-off at Snooker Zone Club Bahadurabad from Oct7, it was announced on Monday.

Saleh, who finished a runner-up in the last year's world snooker championship in China, is currently in Bahrain, and serving as their national snooker team coach.

Rs 110000 prize money championship has attracted 66 cueists from all over the country. Khurram Agha has been top seeded in Saleh's absence. Imran Shahzad Inam-ur-Rehman and Shakeel Bhatti are seeded second, third and fourth.

Ahmed Bawany, who has been top seeded will be defending his nine-ball pool title. Inam-ur-Rehman is seeded two, Farhan Noor three and Shakeel Bhatti fourth. Thirty six players will be battling for nine-ball pool crown.

Out of participants 28 have been given bye in the first round. Thirty players will be contesting for billiards title with four got byes in the first round. -APP