KARACHI: Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) is set to turn a new leaf when the inaugural Jubilee Insurance National Under-18 Snooker Championship begins at Lahore’s Champions Snooker Academy from Jan 6.

“It is a new edition in the games annual domestic circuit after the launch of a similar event by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) at St. Petersburg this year,” the PBSF president Alamgir Shaikh told newsmen at a press conference held at Hotel Movenpick on Tuesday.

The press talk that marked culmination of 2015 activities mostly remained focussed on the national under-18 and national 21 events. Both the national events carries a total prize money of Rs1,30,000 apiece. The winner of each event gets Rs50,000 while the runner up takes home Rs25,000.

He said 32 players will compete in the under-18 event while 40 cueists will contest in the under-21 spectacle that is slated to take place in the city from Jan 26 to Feb 3.

He said the top two players of both the events will be allowed to compete in all the senior ranking events of the 2016 calendar in addition to representing Pakistan at the world under-18 and under-21 competitions that takes place back-to-back at Belgium in July.

Top two of the national under-21 event will also represent the country at the Asian under-21 event being held at Colombo in March, he added.

It is pertinent to mention that Abdul Raheem and Mohammad Saqib represented the country at the inaugural IBSF world under-18 event at St. Petersburg.

Speaking on the occasion, Tahir Ahmed of the Jubilee Insurance assured that his firm will continue to support the junior events.

He said two-time national champion Hamza Akbar has come from the junior circuit and crowned Asian champion.

The sponsor reiterated for the launch of another under-15 event.

The PBSF secretary Munawwar Shaikh was also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2015