National U-16 Snooker from 5th

KARACHI: The launch of first-ever National Under-16 Snooker Championship highlights the packed snooker calendar for the year 2019 which was unveiled by the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) here at the Karachi Gymkhana on Wednesday.

The national snooker calendar cues off with as many as four tournaments to be held during the current month starting with the inaugural Under-16 National Snooker Championship from January 5. It will be followed 4th Under-18 National Snooker Championship from January 10, 11th Under-21 National Snooker Championship from January 17 and 3rd Masters National Snooker Championship from January 24. The details of the four back to back championships, to be staged at the PSB Sports Complex, were announced by the PBSA officials during the media briefing which was also addressed by Tahir Ahmed, Managing Director, Jubilee General Insurance.

It was revealed that the Under-16 National Championship, not having the representation of Balochistan, will be contested by 16 cueists, who have been divided equally in four groups. The top two cueists from each group will advance to the knockout phase of the competition starting with quarterfinals.

With the former Under-18 world champion, Naseem Akhtar, being awarded wild card entry, the number of participants in the Under-18 National Championship will be 33 and they have been divided in eight groups for the preliminary rounds. The top two cueists from each group will qualify for pre-quarter-finals.

The Under-21 National Championship will be featuring as many as four wild card entrants and the event will be contested by 36 cueists who have been into nine groups. The top two cueists from each group will qualify for the round of last 18. In his brief remarks on the occasion, Tahir Ahmed, Managing Director, Jubilee General Insurance, expressed his delight at the launch of the Under-16 tournament at the national level.

Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, Co-Chairman, PBSA, disclosed that a record number of 22 national and international snooker tournaments appear on their calendar in what promises to be action packed year (2019).