Daily Times

KARACHI: The Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) is planning to host the proposed inaugural Pakistan Snooker League (PSL) here in December. It is pertinent to mention that earlier the PSL was supposed to take place last year but the plans couldn’t materialise. “There is likelihood that 10 teams will feature in the inaugural competition and every outfit will include one foreign cueist,” PBSF president Munawwar Husain Shaikh said. He added couple of foreign players including the reigning world champion Pankaj Advani (India) and seven-time woman world champion Wendy Jans (Belgium) had shown their willingness to come to Pakistan for the event. “Participation of at least one or two top women alongside men in the event will be an added attraction for the spectators,” he said adding every team would comprise three players.

About the formation of teams, he said: “It’s the prerogative of the PBSF who will form balanced teams aimed at giving equal chance to all outfits.” Referring to the sponsorship, he said: “We have discussed the idea with our main sponsors, Jubilee Insurance, for buying title sponsorship. Besides, some snooker loving people have given their assurance to buy teams and at the same time we’re looking for other private firms to come forward and support the game.” Elaborating about the expenses, he said the top prize would be somewhere between $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the sponsorship amount besides substantial runner-up purse, appearance money for every cueist, return air fare from Karachi and back to foreign and Pakistan cueists, hotel accomodation and the venue charges among others.

Published in Daily Times, March 23^rd 2018.