MANAMA: Pakistan’s young cueist Muhammad Hasnain Akhtar delivered a dominant performance in the IBSF Under-17 World Snooker Cham­pionship, securing two emphatic victories to top his group and qualify for the pre-quarterfinals here at the Crowne Plaza hotel on Wednesday.

The 16-year-old continued his scintillating form, first overpowering Mohammad Omar 3-0 of the UAE with a display of heavy scoring.

Hasnain fired breaks of 61 [98(61)-5], 65 [74(65)-1] and 54 [92(54)-8] to seal a commanding win.

He maintained this mom­entum against Poland’s Witold Bystrz­ycki, completing another 3-0 clean sweep.

Hasnain, who won the Asian U-21 title in Riyadh in 2024, opened with a 63 break [79(63)-1], followed by a 48 break [81(48)-17] before clinching a tense final frame [59(34)-53].

These victories, combined with his opening-day win against Qatar’s Abd­ulla Al Musleh, ensured Hanain finished the group stage with a perfect record without dropping a single frame.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2025