KARACHI: Playing the best match of his career, Pakistan’s top cueist Hamza Akbar did his country proud when he stunned Indian celebrity of the baize game Pankaj Advani 7-6 in the fully stretched battle to win top honours in the 31st Asian Snooker Championship at Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

Hamza won the best of 13 frames duel 66-28, 32-56, 64-38, 55-34, 17-68, 56-44, 56-63, 66-39, 32-67, 34-62, 10-85, 56-54, 55-46. The final lasted for seven hours including a 30-minute break.

By doing so, the Faisalabad-born two-time national champion become the second Pakistani to win the Asian title the first being Mohammad Yousuf who won the similar honours at Karachi way back in 1998.

Hamza, 21, who started his career in 2008, shot to fame when in the presence of senior cueists he won the national title in 2013. The title eluded him the following year when he lost the final to Mohammad Asif Toba only to bounce back and recapture it again earlier this year. He had also featured in a number of International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) and Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS) competitions at home and abroad during the last two years.

Hamza received a winning purse of US $ 7,000 and the glittering cup while Pankaj took home runner-up purse of US $ 3,500 at the presentation that followed the tense final. The ceremony was attended among others by the ACBS president Mubarak Al Khayarin, the PBSF president Alamgir Shaikh and Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation officials.

There was jubilation back home and Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) vice-president Javed Karim was the first to announce a cash award of Rs3,00,000 for Hamza on behalf of the PBSF.

Meanwhile, former PBSF president Ali Asghar Valika has paid rich compliments to Hamza for winning the Asian crown against much superior opponent.

“Hamza’s triumph at this juncture when the nation is passing through difficult times has brought a moment of joy for the nation, cueist, and the PBSF,” he told Dawn.

Applauding his successor Alamgir Shaikh, Valika said the former had a belief in youth and the junior circuit has started giving results. “Alamgir and his entire team deserve full credit,” he added.

Pakistan snooker team is due to arrive here from Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play