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Friday March 29, 2024

Cueist Hamza surges to top of national rankings

KARACHI: Hamza Akbar, who recently recaptured the national snooker crown, has become the top-ranked cueist of the country.According to a media release of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) here on Thursday, Hamza, who was positioned fourth previously, has taken the top slot.It may be recalled that 21-year-old Hamza,

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
February 20, 2015
KARACHI: Hamza Akbar, who recently recaptured the national snooker crown, has become the top-ranked cueist of the country.
According to a media release of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) here on Thursday, Hamza, who was positioned fourth previously, has taken the top slot.
It may be recalled that 21-year-old Hamza, hailing from the industrial town of Faisalabad, had joined the selected band of cueists having clinched the national title more than once as he overcame the 31-year-old Shahram Changezi in the final of the National Snooker championship 2015 here last week.
Islamabad-based Shahram, who fell at the final hurdle while pursuing his dream of annexing the national crown for the first time in his career, moved to the second position in the national rankings.
Mohammad Asif, a former world champion, climbed to the third position after having ended runner-up in the Nationals 2015.
Mohammad Sajjad, who was the top ranked cueist until the start of the last event, slipped to the fourth position.
Babar Masih, who was granted a wild card entry in the National Championship, justified the confidence reposed in him by the PBSA as he now occupies the fifth position.
With Mohammad Imran being placed sixth, there are as many as five cueists from Punjab among the top six in the ranking chart.
Aakash Rafiq of Khyber Pakthunkhwa finds himself at number seven.
Khurram Hussain Agha of Sindh, who had remained the number one cueist of the country for the better part of the last decade, is placed eighth.
Asif Toba, who was dethroned of the national title last year, got demoted to the ninth slot. Zulfiqar Abdul Qadir, one of the most promising local cueists, jumped to the tenth place.
Hunain Aamir, a youngster from Punjab, is now placed 11th. The enigmatic duo of Sultan Mohammad and Rambail Gul are 12th and 13th, respectively.
Majid Ali, hailed as one of the best young cueists in the region, slipped to the 14th position.
Abdul Sattar came down to the 15th slot and Aamir Tariq, another energetic youngster, occupied the 16th spot.