KARACHI: Talented Mohammad Majid Ali of Punjab captured his maiden national junior under-21 snooker title after outplaying Sindh’s Mohammad Haris Nadeem by 6-1 frames in the final that fell short of expectations at Movenpick hotel arcade on Thursday.

Majid set the pace after one-all and won frame after frame in the best of 11 final to post a magnificent victory in the Jubilee Insurance sixth national junior snooker championship. Final scores were 95-0, 58-85, 67-31, 89-8, 83-1, 60-36, 75-28.

“Capturing the national junior title is definitely an honour for me and has raised my level of confidence on the eve of 15th Asian junior snooker championship set to take place at Mohali, Chandigarh, from April 26 to May 3,” an elated 20-year-year-old Majid, who won a silver medal in the last year’s Asian junior spectacle at Indore, told Dawn.

A jubilant Majid, who has featured in two junior Asians and as many junior world championships, was optimistic of making amends of Indore defeat in the coming months. “After five-all, I lost the decisive 11th frame on a pink ball to Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham last year,” he recalled.

“I did not play up to my potential and came under pressure that eventually turned the tide,” said Sindh champion Haris, who made his third appearance in the national junior event.

Despite the loss he was happy about making the finals and qualifying for this year’s Junior Asian and World Championships.

At the outset, Majid opened the final on a positive note, taking the opener 95-0. The moment he conceded the second 58-85 to Haris, spectators felt that the contest will be fought fiercely but that was not to be. From third frame onwards there was no stopping Majid who won the next five frames in-a-row by 67-31, 89-8, 83-1, 60-36, 75-28 to land the crown.

Majid received a glittering trophy and winner’s cheque of Rs 40,000 while Haris got runners-up trophy and a purse of Rs 20,000 from chief guests Javed Ahmed and Tahir Ahmed of Jubilee Insurance. Majid also received an additional sum of Rs 5,000 for his highest break (101) feat in the semi-final against Hamza Akbar.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) president, Alamgir Shaikh, said a camp for the Mohali-bound top four cueists will be set up at snooker academy in University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

He said the federation will acquire the services of veteran world amateur snooker champion Mohammad Yousuf as coach of the junior team as it did last year.