COLOMBO: Pakistan’s quest for the Asian 6-Red Snooker singles title concluded on Wednesday as veteran cueist Mohammad Asif fell 2-5 to Malaysia’s Thor Chun Leong in a hard-fought semi-final clash.

Despite the defeat, the 42-year-old secured a bronze medal for Pakistan at the ongoing championship in Colombo, marking the nation’s sole podium finish in the singles event.

The semi-final encounter saw Asif struggle to establish consistent momentum against his Malaysian opponent.

Leong claimed the opening frame decisively (39-5), but Asif responded with a 35 break to level the match [4-59(35)]. Leong then seized control, winning the next three frames consecutively [41-0, 62(35)-0, 1-43(35)].

Asif showed resilience to take the sixth frame [34(33)-25], narrowing the deficit to 2-4. However, Leong extinguished any hopes of a comeback with a dominant 70 break in the final frame [78(70)-0], sealing his place in the final.

Attention now shifts to the Team Championship commencing on Thursday, where Pakistan will field two squads in the 16-team event featuring representatives from 13 nations.

Pakistan 1 will see the pairing of Awaisullah Munir and Asif, while Pakistan 2 features national champion Shahid Aftab alongside experienced campaigner Mohammad Sajjad.

The teams have been divided into four groups, with each side playing three preliminary matches. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2025