NBP National Snooker Championship to feature 56 cueists

KARACHI: As many as 56 cueists from all over the country will be trying their luck in the NBP 46th National Snooker Championship 2021, due to be played here at the NBP Sports Complex in Clifton from October 1 to 11.

The details about the only national ranking event of the year were shared here at the Karachi Gymkhana on Monday by Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) president Jawed H Karim in his maiden media briefing after having been elected as the new snooker boss late last year.

Traditionally the National Championship was organised by the PBSA in the first quarter as it was generally followed by two or three more national ranking tournaments during the year. This time, because of Covid-19, they have been compelled to hold the Nationals as late as October, leaving no space for any other domestic competition in the remaining time of 2021.

“If all remains well, we will be more than happy to resume our practice of organising three or four tournaments in 2022, starting with the Nationals during the first couple of months,” the PBSA president declared.

Flanked by PBSA chairman Alamgir Anwar Shaikh and senior vice president Abdul Qadir Memon, he acknowledged the overwhelming support of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to the game of snooker.

“NBP has also provided jobs to the leading cueists of the country which has contributed significantly in improving the standard of cue sports,” Jawed Karim noted.

NBP EVP Shahzad Karimi announced that the bank would continue supporting sports. There were more plans in the pipeline for promoting sporting activities in accordance with the government policies, he added.

The Nationals offer a total prize money of Rs272,000 with the winner to take home Rs100,000 and the runner-up to get Rs50,000. The losing semi-finalists, quarter-finalists and pre-quarter-finalists will receive Rs20,000, Rs10,000 and Rs4,000 each, respectively.

The highest break award carries a sum of Rs10,000. There will be eight entries each from the four provinces. Four slots have gone to Islamabad. The top 12 ranked cueists of last year have been given direct entries. Half a dozen junior cueists are also being blooded in the mainstream arena. Hamza Akbar and Abdul Sattar are going to be the two wild card entrants.