KARACHI, June 12: Pakistan Mohammad Yousuf and Naveen Perwani moved into the last 16 of the 23rd Asian Snooker Championship after chalking up second straight wins in the league matches at a local hotel on Tuesday.

The 55-year-old Yousuf handed a 4-0 defeat to Sri Lanka’s Henry Boteju, who at 64 is the oldest player in the tournament, making his appearance in the Asian championship after an 18-year layoff. Boteju was the semi-finalist at the second Asian event at Singapore in 1985 after defeating Thailand’s James Wattana in the quarter-finals.

Though Yousuf won 60-30, 51-2, 51-37, 99-9, he was not in his true elements and at times missed easy shots.

The Pakistani veteran meets former Asian champion, Alok Kumar of India, on Wednesday at 4.00pm to decide the winner and runner-up from group B.

Naveen, the only seeded home player in the event, earned full points when he got past Korea’s Jung Tae-Hoon by four frames to one in group H. The scores were 48-63, 46-12, 96-21, 55-22, 66-7.

Another Pakistani Khurram Agha, who the other day overcame Supoj Saenia of Thialand 4-3, was up against Bahrain’s Mohammad Al Shaikh in the second match at the time of filing this report.

Khurram’s compatriot, Vishan Gir, became the first casualty when he tasted second defeat in as many days. Vishan, who went down to Yasin Merchant 2-4 in Monday’s last session, suffered a 1-4 defeat against Bahrain’s Habib Sabah.

The PBSA’s blue-eyed Saleh Mohammad received a 1-4 drubbing at the hands of fourth seed Liu Chuang of China. The latter romped home 66-54, 84-1, 48-71, 66-23 and 70-5. However, despite this defeat Saleh is still in the run for the last-16 stage, provided he wins his last match on Wednesday.

Among others who have also consolidated their chances of going through to the next stage include top seed Mohammad Shehab of the UAE, second seed Alok Kumar of India, Liu Chuang, fifth seed Jin Long of China, seventh seed Habib Sabah and India’s Yasin Merchant.

The three-day league matches conclude on Wednesday.

Tuesday’s results:

Jin Long (China) bt Pham Hoai Nam (Vietnam) 4-2 (45-59, 77-22, 22-62, 56-18, 61-8, 67-22); Keith E. Boon (Singapore) bt Ochirbold Begzsuren (Mangolia) 4-0 (67-16, 76-34, 85-15, 64-7); Habib Sabah (Bahrain) bt Vishan Gir (Pakistan) 4-1 (75-25, 68-7, 91-4, 29-82, 64-46); Naveen Perwani (Pakistan) bt Jung Tae-Hoon (Korea) 4-1 (48-63, 46-12, 96-21, 55-22, 66-7); Mohammad Shehab (UAE) bt Kim Do-Hoon (Korea) 4-0 (63-28, 63-25, 74-36, 98-8); Alok Kumar (India) bt Shimon Tauchi (Japan) 4-0 (50-43, 66-3, 63-40, 77-52); Supoj Saenia (Thailand) bt Nguyen Phuc Long (Vietnam) 4-1 (76-25, 63-68, 73-7, 66-33, 74-0); Liu Chuang (China) bt Saleh Mohammad (Pakistan) 4-1 (66-54, 84-1, 48-71, 66-23, 70-5); Chan Kwok Ming (Hong Kong) bt Yutaka Fukuda (Japan) 4-2 (84-54, 39-47, 31-46, 71-24, 82-13, 58-33); Mohsn A. Aziz (Qatar) bt Thetachaiya Un-Nooh (Thailand) 4-2 (19-67, 14-80, 74-35, 74-65, 56-14, 61-22); Yasin Merchant (India) w/o Reenat William (Iraq); Mohammad Al Joakar (UAE) bt Susantha Boteju (sri Lanka) 4-3 (68-43, 28-69, 86-7, 68-36, 48-71, 51-64, 60-17); Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan) bt Henry Bojetu (Sri Lanka) 4-0 (60-30, 51-2, 51-37, 99-9).

Monday’s remaining results:

Chan Hon Kwan (Hong Kong) bt Kim Do-Hoon (Korea) 4-2 (36-70, 72-1, 56-67, 76-25, 52-38, 99-1); Nguyen Phuc Long (Vietnam) bt Mohammad Al Shaikh (Bahrain) 4-2 (55-25, 62-47, 53-54, 57-54, 17-70, 71-29); Chan Kwok Ming (Hong Kong) bt Pham Hoai Nam (Vietnam) 4-2 (67-30, 54-63, 54-20, 0-74, 46-34, 103-10); Thetachaiya Un-Nooh (Thailand) bt Ochirbold Begzsuren (Mangolia) 4-0 (76-11, 52-1, 82-38, 55-25); Yasin Merchant (India) bt Vishan Gir (Pakistan) 4-2 (66-33, 70-19, 27-51, 52-58, 64-55, 74-9); Mohammad Al Joakar (UAE) bt Jung Tae-Hoon (Korea) 4-2 (29-57, 64-2, 76-4, 51-66, 60-55, 60-43).

Wednesday’s fixtures:

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