KARACHI, June 22: The 12th Style Snooker Cup, the second national ranking event of the year, gets into action at the Karachi Club on Monday with top 32 players vying for honours.

Defending champion Saleh Mohammad who bulldozed Rambel Gul 6-0 in the one-sided all-NWFP final last year, will start the defence of his crown when he takes on NWFP’s Arshad Siddiq in his opening group ‘B’ match.

Punjab’s Mohammad Sajjad who reached new heights by crowning the national title in his maiden appearance earlier this year is drawn in group ‘A’ and faces Punjab’s Mohammad Afzal in the first session on the opening day.

Sajjad’s victim in the final of national championship was Saleh Mohammad who like many previous occasions failed to rise to the occasion by going 3-7 down in the final.

Placed in group ‘H’, veteran Mohammad Yousuf is pitted against former national champion, Naveen Perwani, in his opening fixture.

The participants have been equally drawn into eight groups. At the end of the league matches, two top players from each group will advance to knockout pre quarter-finals.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals are slated for June 27 while curtain will fall on the event the next day.

Total prize money of Rs158,000 will be at stake in the event. According to break-up, the winner will receive Rs50,000 while the runner up will take home Rs30,000.

Groups:

‘A’: Mohammad Sajjad (Punjab), Rambel Gul (NWFP), Qasim Kamani (Sindh), Mohammad Afzal (Punjab).

‘B’: Saleh Mohammad (NWFP), Mohammad Shahid (Punjab), Qadeer Butt (Punjab), Arshad Siddiq (NWFP).

‘C’: Raees Khan (Punjab), Farhan Noor (Punjab), Mohammad Asif Toba (Punjab), Ayaz Khan (Punjab).

‘D’: Imran Shehzad (Punjab), Mohammad Nazir (Punjab), Sohail Shehzad (Sindh), Ali Shahzad Butt (Punjab).

‘E’: Khurram Agha (Sindh), Sultan Mohammad (Sindh), Abu Saim (Punjab), Inamur Rehman (NWFP).

‘F’: Imtiaz Serwer (Punjab), Saqib Butt (Punjab), Mohammad Asif (Punjab), Shah Khan (NWFP).

‘G’: Atif Mughal (Punjab), Imran Qamar (Punjab), Visdhan Gir (Sindh), filler in place of Salman Shaikh (Sindh).

‘H’: Shehram Changezi (Punjab), Mohammad Yousuf (Sindh), Naveen Perwani (Sindh), Abdul Sattar (Sindh).

Monday’s fixtures:

10.00am: Imran Shehzad v Ali Shahzad Butt; Saleh Mohammad v Arshad Siddiq; Mohammad Sajjad v Mohammad Afzal; Raees Khan v Ayaz Khan.

12.00noon: Shehram Changezi v Abdul Sattar; Imtiaz Serwer v Shah Khan; Khurram Agha v Inamur Rehman; Atif Mughal v Filler in place of Salman Shaikh.

2.00pm: Mohammad Nazir v Sohail Shehzad; Mohammad Shahid v Qadeer Butt; Rambel Gul v Qasim Kamani; Farhan Noor v Mohammad Asif Toba.

4.00pm: Mohammad Yousuf v Naveen Perwani; Saqib Butt v Mohammad Asif; Sultan Mohammad v Abu Saim; Imran Qamar v Vishan Gir.