KARACHI: Defending champion Mohammad Asif of Pakistan opened his campaign on a positive note when he won back-to- back matches on the opening day of the 11-nation Jubilee Insurance 6-Reds snooker championship at Hotel Avari Towers on Sunday.

Drawn in group A, Asif first sent Qatar’s Mahanna Naseer Obaidli packing 5-2 (54-27, 81-0, 22-33, 63-7, 38-7, 12-35, 65-8) in the first session and then blanked Indian Ketan Chawla 5-0 in the afternoon with scores being 61-0, 49-0, 44-16, 38-28, 71-0.

Asif’s compatriot Mohammad Sajjad also conjured two successive victories.

Earlier, the draws released by the organisers on Saturday were revised on the pretext that the remaining three foreign teams – Thailand, Iran and Palestine – arrived behind schedule.

Pakistan has entered eight cueists in the 6-Reds event. At the time of filing this report at 9.30pm, national champion Mohammad Asif Toba, Asjad Iqbal, and Sohail Shehzad have lost their one match apiece.

Besides Asif and Sajjad, other home players who returned victorious in their respective opening group matches were Shahid Aftab, Hamza Akbar and Asjad Iqbal.

Tahir Ahmed, managing director Jubilee Insurance, played a shot to mark formal inauguration of the event in the afternoon.

Two prominent officials of the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS) — secretary Mich­ael Al Khoury and treasurer Joseph Lo — Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) top officials Alamgir Shaikh and Muna­wwar Hussain Shaikh attended the opening.

Results: 6-Reds results:

Mohammad Asif (Pakistan) bt Mahanna Naseer Obaidli (Qatar) 5-2 (54-27, 81-0, 22-33, 63-7, 38-7, 12-35, 65-8); Kamal Chawla (India) bt Lim Chun Kiat (Singapore) 5-2 (47-28, 53-1, 62-0, 25-38, 7-48, 43-8, 58-6); Boonyarit Kaettikun (Thailand) bt Varun Madhan (India) 5-4 (0-65, 24-15, 21-29, 17-34, 44-14, 42-38, 8-37, 52-4, 45-31); Mohsen Bukshaisha (Qatar) bt Punit Popatlal (Bahrain) 5-0 (47-27, 68-23, 39-20, 42-11, 39-0); Mohammad Sajjad (Pakistan) bt Rahul Ajay Sachdev (India) 5-3 (45-19, 37-1, 72-0, 9-35, 11-41, 21-40, 35-16, 43-3); Shahid Aftab (Pakistan) bt Ali Naseer Obaidli (Qatar) 5-3 (1-42, 58-0, 16-50, 0-48, 38-11, 60-0, 40-32, 42-36); Hamza Akbar (Pakistan) bt Karam Fatima (Syria) 5-0 (53-1, 67-0, 36-2, 42-0, 47-24); Asjad Iqbal (Pakistan) bt Chan Chee Keong (Hong Kong) 5-2 (2-56, 36-11, 16-39, 40-16, 63-7, 44-11, 31-21); Ang Boon Chin (Singapore) bt Mohammad Raees Senzai (Afghanistan) 5-2 (0-49, 51-14, 29-9, 51-3, 0-60, 32-26, 51-8); Soail Shehzad (Pakistan) bt Omar Alkojah (Syria) 5-3 (19-40, 40-5, 52-0, 51-19, 24-38, 24-46, 50-16, 44-21); Au Chi Wai (Hong Kong) bt Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn (Thailand) 5-4 (27-38, 4-45, 4-62, 39-31, 42-0, 36-25, 36-41, 44-29, 29-20); Mohsen Bukshaisha (Qatar) bt Nader Khan Sultani (Afghanistan) 5-2 (48-28, 49-6, 9-33, 12-44, 69-0, 32-23, 43-36); Amir Sarkhosh (Iran) bt Mohammad Asif Toba (Pakistan) 5-1 (41-8, 15-28, 41-0, 38-0, 40-32, 45-2); Kamal Chawla (India) bt Lin Tang Ho Alan (Hong Kong) 5-3 (24-32, 41-0, 0-57, 58-14, 4-53, 51-11, 28-26, 42-28); Boonyarit Kaettikun (Thailand) bt Saeed Abooyesani (Iran) 5-1 (67-1, 43-29, 10-46, 30-24, 66-0, 62-0); Mohammad Asif (Pakistan) bt Ketan Chawla (India) 5-0 (61-0, 49-0, 44-16, 38-28, 71-0); Hossein Vafaei Ayouri (Iran) bt Majed Saeed Abdulnabi (Bahrain) 5-0 (67-1, 67-0, 72-0, 46-6, 47-8). Abdul Sattar (Pakistan) bt Kritsanut Lersattayathorn (Thailand) 5-1 (37-0, 56-0, 41-30, 42-18, 11-62, 48-6); Omar AlKojah (Syria) bt Punit Popatial (Bahrain) 5-1 (27-22, 56-15, 42-28, 27-34, 31-10, 56-5); Amir Sarkhosh (Iran) bt Lim Chun Kiat (Singapore) 5-3 (7-46, 40-29, 71-0, 40-9, 31-1, 0-47, 0-44, 25-11); Chen Chee Keong (Singapore) bt Varun Madan (India) 5-1 (13-55, 55-13, 48-8, 56-13, 66-13, 44-10, 33-14); Mohammad Sajjad (Pakistan) bt Hamid Saeed Abdulnabi (Bahrain) 5-0 (42-28, 37-36, 34-30, 73-6, 50-0); Karam Fatima (Syria) bt Ali Ahamad Yousofi (Afghanistan) 5-4 (53-5, 37-0, 28-21, 15-40, 6-55, 30-22, 24-35, 11-37, 53-0); Mohammad Raees Senzai (Afghanistan) bt Mahanna Naseer Obaidli (Qatar) 5-1 (41-1, 47-3, 6-41, 69-13, 41-19, 42-23); Ang Boon Chin (Singapore) bt Ketan Chawla (India) 5-0 (38-0, 41-23, 51-1, 38-0, 44-7); Nader Khan Sultani (Afghanistan) bt Sohail Shehzad (Pakistan) 5-4 (1-67, 37-4, 38-0, 0-68, 3-45, 0-44, 42-5, 35-25, 43-0); Mohammad Asif Toba (Pakistan) bt Lin Tang Hu Alan (Hong Kong) 5-1 (32-8, 36-0, 6-69, 31-30, 37-0, 45-11); Hamza Akbar (Pakistan) bt Khalid Soliman Alastal (Palestine) 5-1 (33-28, 29-0, 47-2, 79-0, 11-35, 37-7); Rahul Ajay Sachdev (India) bt Mutaz Salaymeh (Palestine) 5-2 (42-13, 27-35, 13-41, 41-0, 48-11, 40-38, 33-32); Saleh Mohammad (Afghanistan) bt Au Chu Wai (Hong Kong) 5-4 (0-37, 7-30, 1-42, 6-68, 42-28, 36-13, 50-0, 65-0, 42-0); Ali Naseer Obaidli (Qatar) bt Hamid Saeed Abdulnabi (Bahrain) 5-2 (39-5, 35-42, 33-36, 34-1, 41-21, 47-0, 27-25); Saeed Abooyesani (Iran bt Asjad Iqbal 5-4 (14-60, 0-36, 36-0, 0-62, 0-64, 49-1, 49-36, 42-11, 45-7).

Monday’s fixtures:

At 10.00am: Mohammad Raees Senzai (Afghanistan) v Ketan Chawla (India), Shahid Aftab (Pakistan) v Majed Saeed Abdul nabi (Bahrain), Amir Sarkhosh (Iran) v Lin Tang Ho Alan (Hong Kong), Chau Hon Man (Hong Kong) v Khalid Soliman Alastal (Palestine), Chan Chee Keong (Hong Kong) v Saeed Abooyesani (Iran), Omar Alkojah (Syria) v Nader Khan Sultani (Afghanistan), Saleh Mohammad (Afghanistan) v Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn (Thailand), Mutaz Salaymeh (Palestine) v Mohammad Sajjad (Pakistan).

At 12.00noon: Ang Boon Chin (Singapore) v Mahanna Naseer Obaidli (Qatar), Mohammad Asif (Pakistan) v Lim Chun Kiat (Singapore), Hamza Akbar (Pakistan) v Ali Ahmmad Yousofi (Afghanistan), Asjad Iqbal (Pakistan) v Varun Madan (India), Sohail Shehzad (Pakistan) v Punit Popatial (Bahrain), Au Chi Wai (Hong Kong) v Abdul Sattar (Pakistan), Rahul Ajay Sachdev (India) v Hamid Saeed Abdulnabi (Bahrain).

At 2.00pm: Mohammad Asif (Pakistan) v Mohammad Raees Senzai (Afghanistan), Hossein Vafaei Ayouri (Iran) v Shahid Aftab (Pakistan), Kamal Chawla (India) v Amir Sarkhosh (Iran), Chau Hon Man (Hong Kong) v Karam Fatima (Syria), Boonyarit Kaettikun (Thailand) v Chan Chee Keong (Singapore), Mohsen Bukshaisha (Qatar) v Omar Alkojah (Syria).

At 4.00pm: Ketan Chawla (India) v Mahanna Naseer Obaidli (Qatar), Lin Tang Ho Alan (Hong Kong) v Lim Chun Kiat (Singapore), Khalid Soliman Alastal (Palestine) v Ali Ahmmad Yousofi (Afghanistan), Saeed Abooyesani (Iran) v Varun Madan (India), Nader Khan Sultani (Afghanistan) v Punit Popatial (Bahrain), Mutaz Salaymeh (Palestine) v Hamid Saeed Abdulnabi (Bahrain).

At 6.00pm: Mohammad Asif (Pakistan) v Ang Boon Chin (Singapore), Hossein Vafaei Ayouri (Iran) v Ali Naseer Obaidli (Qatar), Kamal Chawla (India) v Mohammad Asif (Pakistan), Chau Hon Man (Hong Kong) v Hamza Akbar (Pakistan), Boonyarit Kaettikun (Thailand) v Asjad Iqbal (Pakistan), Mohsen Bukshaisha (Qatar) v Sohail Shehzad (Pakistan), Karam Fatima (Syria) v Khalid Soliman Alastal (Palestine).

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2014