KARACHI: Four-time champion of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) ranking snooker cup and international cueist Asjad Iqbal has surged to the top of the latest national rankings released by the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) on Tuesday.

The year 2016 has brought joy and glory for the 25-year-old Sargodha born cueist, who finished runner-up in the national championship to Mohammad Sajjad in March besides securing a silver medal in the IBSF team event in Egypt pairing with the latter recently.

An employee of the NBP, Iqbal, who was placed No 2 before the event, has regained the top slot after a long span of seven years thus succeeding his mentor Sajjad to the fifth spot.

Former national champion, Shahid Aftab, 36, who is catching up age fast, has leaped three places to attain second place. He has won the national title in 2011.

Sajjad’s sibling Mohammad Ijaz, who made his debut in 2015, has jumped nine places to reach his career best third place. He was ranked 12th earlier.

Jobless Abdul Sattar kept Sindh among the top four with his magnificent performance. Ranked 14th in the previous chart, he caught the eye among all participants with a rise of 10 places.

At the fifth place is three-time national champion Sajjad and followed by promising Mubashir Raza who climbed nine places.

Mohammad Bilal has improved his ranking by two places securing seventh spot while Sindh’s another cueist Sohail Shehzad has slipped two places by acquiring the eighth spot.

Former world amateur snooker champion Mohammad Asif and Babar Masih, who have shone by winning gold in the IBSF team event, are struggling with their form as they occupied ninth and 10th position respectively.

Top 10 rankings:

1-Asjad Iqbal (Punjab) 19 pts; 2-Shahid Aftab (Punjab) 16 pts; 3-Mohammad Ijaz (Punjab) 14 pts; 4-Abdul Sattar (Sindh) 14 pts; 5-Mohammad Sajjad (Punjab) 14 pts; 6-Mubashir Raza (Punjab) 13 pts; 7-Mohammad Bilal (Punjab) 13 pts; 8-Sohail Shehzad (Sindh) 13 pts; 9-Mohammad Asif (Punjab) 12 pts; 10-Babar Masih (Punjab) 12 pts.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2017