Asif annexes NBP Snooker title in thrilling fashion

KARACHI: Seventh seed Muhammad Asif survived some anxious moments before coming from behind to edge out unseeded Mubashir Raza in the all-Punjab final of the 11th edition of NBP Ranking Snooker Championship 2019 here at the NBP Sports Complex on Saturday.

The 37-year-old Asif, a former world champion hailing from the industrial city of Faisalabad, was trailing more than once in the best of 15-frame encounter but he fought his way back to win the thrilling contest 8-7 with the scores of 0-117, 8-127, 60-31, 131-6, 0-115, 92-32, 62-16, 95-0, 51-74, 74-0, 126-7, 132-0, 31-72, 45-54, 140-0. It turned out be one of the most exciting finals of a national ranking snooker tournament in recent times as it progressed at a very fast pace initially and there was plenty of action and drama until the very end.

Telecast live by Geo Super, the premier sports television channel of the country, it was rare to watch both the cueists playing aggressively from the outset as the intent was securing points by potting rather than playing safely with the cue ball. There were big breaks much to the pleasure of the spectators and the viewers across the world.

Consequently the first five frames were completed inside 90 minutes and Mubashir, making his maiden appearance in the final of any national ranking tournament, was in full flow without showing any sign of nerves. The 25-year old cueist from Lahore opened his account by firing breaks of 62 and 55 in the opening frame and he doubled his lead with the help of 60 in the second frame.

Asif drew level with a break of 103 in the fourth frame but Mubashir chalked up breaks of 59 and 53 in the next frame to regain lead which Asif was able to neutralize with another flamboyant break of 69 in the sixth frame. Not surprisingly it was Mubashir’s missed opportunity which created the lifeline for the vastly experienced Asif and he made it count by pressing home the advantage. Asif, a man for the big occasion, produced another sterling break of 57 in the eighth frame but Mubashir was not far behind, responding with a break of 59 in the next frame.

It were Asif’s brace of brilliant century breaks in successive frames which allowed him to put his nose in front but Mubashir refused to give up and he kept the contest alive by winning the 14th frame to make it seven-all. There was everything to play for in the decisive 15th frame and it was Asif who seized the opportunity with breaks of 70 and 64 which didn’t allow his opponent to earn even a single point. The prize distribution ceremony was held soon after the conclusion of the final. Tariq Jamali, Senior Executive Vice President, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), who was the chief guest on the occasion, presented a cheque of Rupees one lac with the winners’ trophy to Asif while Mubashir collected a purse of Rupees forty thousand with the runners-up trophy. M Majid Ali won an award of Rs 5,000 for registering the highest break of the tournament (140).

The welcome speech was delivered by Munawwar Hussain Shaikh, President, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), in which he particularly acknowledged the role of print media in the promotion of cue sports in the country. Iqbal Qasim, a former Test left-arm spinner and Head of NBP sports division, didn’t mince words in declaring that he considered his role in facilitating employment of half a dozen cueists at the bank as one the most satisfying actions on his part in his long career.

Later talking to the media, Asif, having regained the title, expressed his massive relief at having won the tournament after so many upsets having rocked the seeded cueists during the past one week.

“The junior cueists are coming up thick and fast. As they play fearlessly and aggressively they often bring us under pressure and we have to make adjustments in our tactics to counter them. This augurs very well for the future of snooker in the country,” he conceded.