KARACHI: Despite making exit in the quarter-final of the National Bank of Pakistan ranking snooker championship recently, national champion Mohammad Asif Toba retained top slot in the latest rankings released by the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) on Thursday.

Toba, who overcome Hamza Akbar 8-4 in the final of the 39th National championship held in March, was knocked out by Imran Shehzad 5-4 in the quarters to make exit.

Toba leads the table with a tally of 17 points. Mohammad Sajjad, who won the NBP title second time since its inception, leaped nine places to seize second position on the chart with 16 points. He was ranked 11th in the last rankings.

Though Sajjad is tied with three other cueists — Imran Shehzad, Asjad Iqbal and Hamza — with 16 points apiece, he is ahead of others by virtue of winning the NBP final.

Losing finalist Imran jumped five places to seize third position ahead of three-time NBP champion who suffered 1-6 loss at the hands of eventual champion in semis.

Hamza, meanwhile, slipped from second to fifth position by virtue of losing to Abdul Sattar 3-5 in quarters. Though Sattar and Sohail Shehzad, both from Sindh, are tied with 15 points apiece the former is ahead of the latter for making it to the last four.

Mohammad Majid Ali, Mohammad Asif and Shahram Changezi are ranked eighth, ninth and 10th respectively. Majid and Asif are on the even kneel with 13 points apiece followed by Shahram 12.

Majid went down 3-5 to Asjad in quarters while former IBSF world amateur snooker champion Asif was sent packing by his namesake Asif Toba in the pre quarters.Mohammad Asif’s performance in the two national ranking events is a testimony that the cueist is losing interest.

Islamabad-based Shahram has made it to the top 10 by making it to the last 16 where he lost to eventual champion.

Meanwhile, top two players will travel to Bangalore to compete in the IBSF world snooker championship in November.

Rankings:

1-Mohammad Asif Toba (Punjab) 17 pts; 2-Mohammad Sajjad (Punjab) 16 pts; 3-Imran Shehzad (Punjab) 16 pts; 4-Asjad Iqbal (Punjab) 16 pts; 5-Hamza Akbar (Punjab) 16 pts; 6-Abdul Sattar (Punjab) 15 pts; 7-Sohail Shehzad (Sindh) 15 pts; 8-Mohammad Majid Ali (Punjab) 13 pts; 9- Mohammad Asif (Punjab) 13 pts; 10-Shehram Changezi (Islamabad) 12 pts.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2014