KARACHI: Country’s top 24 cueists are set to feature in the Langnese Snooker Cup, the fourth and last ranking competition of the year, which takes place at the NBP Sports Complex from Sunday.

Billed as the toughest event of the calendar, the tournament forms criteria for selection of top two players of the national ranking besides retaining the first eight of the rankings for next year.

The details of the contest were unveiled by president of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) Alamgir Shaikh in a press conference at Karachi Gymkhana on Wednesday.

Also present on the occasion were sponsors Anjum Nisar, secretary PBSA, Munawwar Shaikh, and National Bank’s Anwar Khan.

He said the world championship has been relocated from Egypt to Sofia, Bulgaria where it will be played from Nov 24 to Dec 2.

The PBSA chief eulogised the sponsors for supporting the baize game in difficult times. He also had a word of praise for NBP for providing their sports complex for holding the matches free of cost.

Referring to next year’s domestic format in the aftermath of his negotiations with players, he said it would be tough and hopefully unearth new talent. The first ranking event will be of 40 players followed by 32, 24 and 16, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Anwar, who represented the NBP in the absence of sports chief Iqbal Qasim, said the bank had demolished a wall to fulfill the PBSA’s requirement of accommodating four tables.

According to him, besides staging a national ranking event every year, the bank had employed three cueists — Mohammad Sajjad, Asjad Iqbal and Mohammad Majid Ali.

Meanwhile, the event carries total prize money of Rs1,65,000 with winner getting Rs70,000 and runner-up Rs40,000.

The losing semi-finalists and quarter-finalists earns Rs30,000 and Rs20,000, respectively. A sum of Rs5,000 has been set aside for highest break.