KARACHI, May 15: Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) launches its campaign for this year’s Asian Games when the Pakistan Cue Masters which envisaged snooker, billiards and pool gets into action at the Karachi Club on Tuesday with 16 players vying for honours.

The Games are slated to be held at Doha, Qatar, in December this year where baize game is a medal sport.

The Masters carries prize money of Rs150,000 with winner taking home Rs50,000 and runners up Rs30,000. The remaining 14 participants will be given Rs5,000 apiece as appearance money.

The details of the event were unfolded at a press conference by the PBSA president, Asghar Valika, on Monday.

According to the format, the players have been equally drawn into two pools in the four-day competition which is being played on the knock-out basis. The winners of first round would proceed to the quarterfinals to be played on Thursday.

This would be followed by pre-finals and finals on Friday.

Highlighting salient features, he said snooker will be played on best of four frames with each frame spread over 20-minute. Similarly, billiards will have 50 points for each of the two frames while in pool a player will race to seven frames.

Valika said an ambitious programme has been chalked out for the next six months which includes participation in Asian and World championship, fourth Pakistan-India Peace Snooker Cup and culminating at the Asian Games.

He disclosed that a ranking snooker tournament would take place at Karachi Gymkhana next month.

About the Asian meet, he said reigning national champion, Khurram Agha and losing finalist, Imran Shehzad, would travel to Colombo where the event takes place from June 30 to July 6.

He said Pakistan plans to bid for hosting 2007 Asian spectacle at the annual general body meeting of Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports on July 4.

PBSA official said a five-member Pakistan team would travel to India for the Pakistan-India Peace Snooker Cup being played at Delhi from Sept 2 to 9.

After winning the opening series, Pakistan lost to arch rivals in the following two competitions.

Jordan play host to the world extravaganza in November where again Pakistan is set to make a bid for hosting the 2008 championship, he said adding that PST and POA has assured for extending financial help to PBSA.

He said the Doha-bound team would get month long training in the camp at Islamabad under the guidance of a Thai coach in November.

“The games controlling body is also planning to review the existing selection policy by introducing promotion and relegation system” he added.

Tuesday’s fixtures:

At 10.00am: Mohammad Yousuf v Vishan Gir

At 12.00pm: Rambel Gul v Raees Khan

At 2.00pm: Atiq Latif Bux v Naveen Perwani

At 4.00pm: Sohail Shehzad v Jawed Ansari