Faizan stuns Sultan in Sindh Cup Snooker final

KARACHI: Faizan Ahmed stunned Sultan Mohammad in the all-Karachi final of the 29th Sindh Cup Snooker Tournament 2020-21 here at the Legends Snooker Club in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Sunday.

Faizan played superbly to force the vastly experienced Sultan into submission as he won the best-of-11-frame contest 6-2 with the scores of 65-22, 15-60, 65-22, 51-9, 45-61, 53-15, 59-34, 44-0.

In the semi-finals, Faizan had toppled Ali Hamza 5-2 with the frame scores of 60-8, 56-50, 102-0, 54-63, 76-34, 43-51, 60-26. Sultan had edged out Farrukh Usman 5-3 with the scores of 55-52, 60-47, 36-54, 44-64, 68-55, 54-65, 55-14, 51-5.

The four semi-finalists and the losing quarter-finalists, Jawed Ansari, Iftikhar Khan, Taufeeq Memon and Umar Memon, have qualified for the National Snooker Championship 2021, expected to be organised here next month.

It was for the first time in the history of Sindh Cup when two outstation cueists, Taufeeq Memon and Umar Memon, both of them from Hyderabad, managed to make it to the quarters to secure a place in the Nationals.

Meanwhile, the prize distribution ceremony of the 29th Sindh Cup, the 13th Junior Sindh Cup and the 1st Under-17 Sindh Cup was also held on Sunday in which Shariq Vohra, President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), was the chief guest.

Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) Secretary Zulfiqar Ali Ramzi, Sindh Billiards & Snooker Association (SBSA) President Irfan Moton, SBSA Secretary Naveed Kapadia, and Legends Club owner Amir Jaliawala were also present on the occasion.

Faizan Ahmed received a purse of Rs40,000 with a trophy for winning the Sindh Cup. Sultan got a cash award of Rs20,000 with the runner-up trophy and Abdul Sattar became richer by Rs5,000 for registering the highest break (111) of the competition.

Umar Ismail collected a cash prize of Rs12,000 alongwith the trophy for annexing Junior Sindh Cup title, while runner-up Zubair Khan was presented Rs8,000 and Umar Ismail earned Rs2,000 for compiling the highest break (62) of the event.

Hasnain Akhtar claimed a cash award of Rs12,000 for winning the inaugural Under-17 Sindh Cup while Hanzila Asif got Rs8,000 with the runner-up trophy and another award of Rs2,000 for chalking up the highest break (45) of the tournament.