Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Babar Masih and Muhammad Asif won the Asian Snooker Team Championship after beating India’s Pankaj Advani and Malkeet Singh 3-2 (110-02, 47-81(52), 72-70, 05-107(68), 98-18) in a thrilling final of the team event in Doha, Qatar on Friday night. Earlier, the duo beat China 3-1 in the semi-final, while Pakistan 2, consisting of Majid Ali and Muhammad Bilal lost to Advani and Singh in the semi-final earning a bronze for themselves. Pakistan were fielding two teams in the event competing for the top place. “It is a great feeling, this is the first time we won against India at the Asian team championship final,” Asif said after the final. “It is the most amazing feeling, because both Advani and Singh played well, but we gave ourselves time, and we did start slow, we fell behind, but Babar and I made a come-back in the game to gain 2-1 lead. We lost to India earlier this year at the World Championships, I guess we just avenged that.”

The former IBSF world champion added that it was special to be winning the Asian Championship with Babar. “Babar and I have been playing for two years now, and it has been a great partnership, in fact more now that we’ve beaten India at the Asian event. The rivalry is always more intense with India, I feel.” Asif added that the tournament had been difficult and the competition level had been improving at the Asian events. The cueist aimed to win medals at the individual 6-Red event as well. “The team event is slower, we can take our time, 6-Red has to be attacking, so I’m hoping for a good result for all of us representing Pakistan here,” said Asif. Though 37 countries are in the fold of the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS) cueists from only 14 nations participated in the team event.

Published in Daily Times, September 24^th 2018.