KARACHI, Jan 18: The Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) has decided to take strict action against those cueists who will be pulling out without intimating the association in the 28th Red and White National Snooker Championship.

The 11-day championship will be held at the basketball court of the KPT Sports Complex from Jan 21 to 31, a spokesman of PBSA said on Saturday.

Players, who are unable to take part in the event must give a solid reason for withdrawing from the prestigious event on the PBSA calendar.

One of the cueists Ahmer Shaikh has informed the association that he will not be able to feature in the championship because of his marriage.

As Ahmer is rated among the top 24 cueists in the country so no replacement will be made in his place.

In case a player or players below that ranking failing to report on the opening day, their replacements will be done from the standbys from Sindh.

Jamal Ahmed, Bilal Siddiqui and Asad Azeem are included as standby players.

Reigning national champion Farhan Mirza, who missed the Latif Masters in October last, due to personal reasons will be defending his title in the championship.

The winners and runner-up of the nationals automatically earn places in the Pakistan squad for the Asian Snooker Championship being held in Kolkata (India) in April 2003.

In the meantime PBSA was making arrangements to hold the event in a befitting manner. Tables and lighting system is being installed at the venue.

The top 48 cueists from across the country will be contesting in the over rupees 200,000 event.

Pakistan number one and top seed Khurram Hussain Agha, Pakistan number two Saleh Muhammad, Busan Asian Games doubles bronze medalist Naveen Perwani, former world amateur champion Muhammad Yousuf, are the main challenger to Farhan Mirza.

After the league contest, the top two players from each pool will advance in the pre-quarter final stage.

Sixteen matches will be played daily on four tables in four sessions starting from 10.00am.—APP