KARACHI: Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) president Alamgir Shaikh has expressed optimism that the home cueists have the potential to win laurels for the nation in the third Jubilee Insurance World 6-Reds and Team Championships which will be contested at hotel Movenpick from Aug 6 to 15.

“Almost all the players have rich experience under their belts and are in with strong chances of winning the honours at the three events they have entered in,” the PBSF chief told Dawn at the hotel on Monday where the camp has commenced.

The annual spectacle features men’s 6-Reds, women’s 6-Reds, men’s team event and Master’s (over 40 years) team event. The women’s team event has been dropped due to lack of entries.

High-profile snooker event begins in Karachi on Aug 6

Pakistan has already named 21 players who will compete in the men’s 6-Reds, men’s team event and master’s team event.

With the exception of veteran world amateur snooker champion Mohammad Yousuf, 20 players reported at the camp on Monday. Yousuf, who reached here from Rawalpindi in the evening, will join the camp from Tuesday.

According to the training schedule, the cueists for the master’s event will undergo training from 10am to 2pm while the men’s team will carry out their practice from 2pm to 6pm. The 6-Reds players will undergo training from 6pm to 10pm.

The event will be played on 16 tables while four practice tables will be separately available for players.

“The ministry of interior is expected to issue NOC for Indian players and their officials in a day or two that will enable them to get visa from Pakistan Embassy in Delhi,” Alamgir said while quoting the ministry official.

He said the vice-president of the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) Maxime Cassis, who is also the President of the European Billiard and Snooker Association (EBSA), and tournament director Joseph Lo will arrive here on Aug 4.

The IBSF chief Capt PVK Mohan, secretary Mohammad Kammah and Asian Billiards and Snooker Federation chief Mubarak Al Khayarin are expected to join later.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan’s pair of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sajjad did the country proud by winning the team title in the inaugural event held at Carlow, Ireland, in 2013.

However, the same pair had to be content with silver medal in the next edition held at Sharm-el-Sheikh last year.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2015

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