KARACHI, July 22: A four-member Pakistan squad is due to leave for Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday to take part in the 21st Asian snooker championship which will commence from Sunday. The squad includes former world and Asian champion Muhammad Yousuf and former world championship runner-up Saleh Muhammad. Shahnawaz Khan is manager of the team while Shabbir Daruwala will referee matches.

Saleh is seeded three behind defending champion Alok Kumar and Pankaj Advani of India while veteran Yousuf, featuring in his record 14th Asian contest is seeded ninth in the 21-nation contest.

Saleh is placed in Pool ‘C’ with Ng Ann Seng (Malaysia), Cheung Chung Hin (Hong Kong), Susantha Boteju (Sri Lanka), Zaw Tun (Myanmar) and Hisham Saqer (Bahrain).

Yousuf, who lifted Asian crown in 1998 held here, is grouped in Pool ‘G’ with Chan Kowk Ming (Hong Kong), M Mustufa Shehab (UAE), Jung Tae-Hoon (Korea), Pharm Hoai Nam (Vietnam) and Wong Chan Keong (Macau).

He will be up against John Loh of Malaysia in the afternoon session on Sunday. Saleh will take on his own pupil Hisham Al Saqer in his first round league match the same day.—APP