June 12, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1428

KARACHI, June 11: Pakistan made a sensational start on the opening day of the 23rd Asian Snooker Championship when four of their five players emerged winners while two seeds suffered defeats at a local hotel on Monday.

At the time of filing this report, home player Vishan Gir was in action against the two-time former Asian champion Yasin Merchant of India in the concluding session of the day.

Iraq, meanwhile, became the third team to pullout from the championship, following the withdrawal of Jordan and Iran. Reenat William was to represent the war-torn country in the absence of Ahmad Al Abdalt and Ali Al DM T Ali.

Habib Sabah of Bahrain received a walkover against the absentee William.

With the non-appearance of Iraq, the number of competing nations at the annual event has now been reduced to 14 with 31 players vying for honours.

“This is the lowest turnout as far as participation of countries and players in the Asians are concerned,” commented an official.

Unseeded Khurram Agha, a former Pakistan No 1, recovered from 1-3 down to topple third seed Supoj Saenia from Thailand, 4-3 in a fully-extended battle.

His 61-6, 9-87, 39-67, 43-56, 72-20, 75-20 and 71-39 win in the morning session brought joy in the Pakistan camp.

Another unseeded player, Mohsn A. Aziz of Qatar, sprang the second surprise when he whipped sixth seed Keith E. Boon of Singapore by the identical margin of 4-3 (6-64, 19-85, 43-73, 70-20, 47-36, 69-36 and 76-23).

Keith, who rose to great heights by slamming the maximum break of 147 at last year’s world championship in Jordan, had firm control on the match as he shot into a 3-0 lead. However, he failed to maintain the pace and the match slipped from his hands. He also piled up a break of 85 in the second frame.

Pakistan’s Naveen Perwani conceded a frame on his way to registering a 4-1 win against Sri Lanka’s Susantha Boteju. He was home 56-48, 27-64, 59-48, 48-28 and 57-31.

Susantha’s father, Henry Boteju, was also cut down to size by second seed Alok Kumar of India, 4-0. The former Asian champion won with a scoreline of 57-51, 70-7, 60-1 and 68-28.

Similarly, top seed Mohammad Shehab of the UAE, the losing finalist of the last championship, swept aside Qatar’s Ali Nasser Al Obaidly by four frames to one. Kumar won 47-73, 67-23, 65-29, 54-46 and 63-15.

Making their appearance in the third session, Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf and Saleh Mohammad routed their opponents by identical 4-0 margins.

Veteran Yousuf, a former world and Asian champion, got past Japan’s Shimon Tauchi 63-23, 60-7, 74-22 and 60-28 while Saleh whipped Singapore’s Puan Yi Wei Alex 111-2, 70-42, 56-31 and 62-37.

Monday’s results:

Mohammad Shehab (UAE) bt Ali Nasser Al Obaidly (Qatar) 4-1 (47-73, 67-23, 65-29, 54-46, 63-15); Alok Kumar (India) bt Henry Boteju (Sri Lanka) 4-0 (57-51, 70-7, 60-1, 68-28); Khurram Agha (Pakistan) bt Supoj Saenia (Thailand) 4-3 (61-6, 9-87, 39-67, 43-56, 72-20, 75-20, 71-39); Liu Chuang (China) bt Buuveibaatar Enkhtaivan (Mangolia) 4-0 (64-36, 73-29, 60-24, 95-14); Jin Long (China) bt Yutaka Fukuda (Japan) 4-2 (80-3, 70-22, 45-66, 36-51, 68-29, 110-0); Mohsn A. Aziz (Qatar) bt Keith E. Boon (Singapore) 4-3 (6-64, 19-85, 43-73, 70-20, 47-36, 69-36, 76-23); Habib Sabah (Bahrain) beat Reenat William (Iraq) – walkover; Naveen Perwani (Pakistan) bt Susantha Boteju (Sri Lanka) 4-1 (56-48, 27-64, 59-48, 48-28, 57-31); Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan) bt Shimon Tauchi (Japan) 4-0 (63-23, 60-7, 74-22, 60-28); Saleh Mohammad (Pakistan) bt Puan Yi Wei Alex (Singapore) 4-0 (111-2, 70-42, 56-31, 62-37).

Tuesday’s fixtures:

Jin Long (China) v Pham Hoai Nam (Vietnam), Keith E. Boon (Singapore) v Ochirbold Begzsuren (Mangolia), Habib Sabah (Bahrain) v Vishan Gir (Pakistan), Naveen Perwani (Pakistan) v Jung Tae-Hoon (Korea) 11.00am; Mohammad Shehab (UAE) v Kim Do-Hoon (Korea), Alok Kumar (India) v Shimon Tauchi (Japan), Supoj Saenia (Thailand) v Nguyen Phuc Long (Vietnam), Liu Chuang (China) v Saleh Mohammad (Pakistan) 1.30pm; Chan Kwok Ming (Hong Kong) v Yutaka Fukuda (Japan), Thetachaiya Un-Nooh (Thailand) v Mohsn A. Aziz (Qatar), Yasin Merchant (India) v Reenat William (Iraq); Mohammad Al Joakar (UAE) v Susantha Boteju (Sri Lanka) 4.00pm; Chan Hon Kwan (Hong Kong) v Ali Nasser Al Obaidly (Qatar), Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan) v Henry Boteju (Sri Lanka), Mohammad Al Shaikh (Bahrain) v Khurram Agha (Pakistan), Puan Yi Wei Alex (Singapore) v Buuveibaatar Enkhtaivan (Magnolia) 6.30pm.