Tag: IBSF World Snooker Championship

DOHA: Pakistan cueists displayed impressive performances in the second stage of the IBSF World Snooker Championship here at the Ezdan Palace Hotel on Sunday.

Seasoned cueist Asjad Iqbal delivered a commanding performance, defeating Cao Zeyi of China 4-1 (4-57, 57-51, 65-5, 70-21, 68-35).

Meanwhile, the three-time World Champion Muhammad Asif secured a decisive win against Bahrain’s Habib Subah 4-2 (70(50)-28, 50-77, 56(56)-74, 65(50)-21, 69-29, 64-51(50).

In another game, Muhammad Hasnain (Pak) displayed commendable performance, outplaying Hesham Shawky of Egypt 4-1 (1-79, 83-24, 64-46, 75(50)-42, 53-29).

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On the contrary, Shahid Aftab was on the losing side, suffering a defeat against Poland’s Michał Szubarczyk 4-2 (68-21, 35-73(50), 46-69, 58-23, 86-21, 62-42).

For context, the tournament, which is underway from November 3 to 13, is currently played in two stages.

According to the rules mentioned on the IBSF official site, two qualifying events will be held, each allowing a maximum of 64 players. The events will be conducted on a knock-out basis, completed over two days each, with matches to be played to a best-of-7 frames format.

The second stage involves 48 players, of which 32 players are pre-qualified. The Last-16 players in Stage 2 will automatically qualify for Stage 2 of the following year’s championship.

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s seasoned cueists Muhammad Asif and Asjad Iqbal are set to participate in the IBSF World Snooker Championship 2025, which will be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 3rd.

The Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) announced the participation of the national snooker team comprising five players.

Besides Asif and Asjad, the players featuring in the tournament are Shahid Aftab, Muhammad Sajjad, and Muhammad Hasnain Akhtar.

 

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The three-time World Champion Asif directly qualified for the last 48 as the defending Champion.

On the contrary, Asjad Iqbal qualified on the last basis of the 16 knockout round last year, while Muhammad Hasnain Akhtar is directly qualified for the last 48 by virtue of being the Current World U-17 Champion 2025.

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Ahead of the tournament, a training camp of the participating players will be organized at Jahanger Khan Sports Complex, Karachi.

The camp will allow players to hone their skills in preparation for the mega event, with the PBSF expressing confidence that they will shine at the Championship.

For context, the Men’s Championship will be played in two stages, with all players, except those directly placed into Stage 2 by the IBSF Technical Committee, having to advance through Stage 1.

According to the rules mentioned on the IBSF official site, two qualifying events will be held, each allowing a maximum of 64 players. The events will be conducted on a knock-out basis, completed over two days each, with matches to be Best of 7 frames.

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The Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has extended his heartfelt congratulations to Mohammad Asif for winning the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Snooker Championship 2024.

Asif clinched his third IBSF World Snooker Championship 2024 title by defeating Iran’s Ali Gharahgozlou with a score of 5-3 in Doha, Qatar.

Asif has previously won the coveted championship in 2012 and 2019. Moreover, he has also clinched two team titles, which makes him the most decorated cueist in the history of Pakistan with five world titles.

For the unversed, the 42-year-old player made his entrance into the tournament as a qualifier, having received a nomination from the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) to participate as a wild card entrant.

However, he seized the opportunity with remarkable determination, delivering breathtaking performances which earned him qualification for the final against Gharahgozlou.

His extraordinary accomplishment garnered accolades from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who commended Asif for his exceptional efforts that brought honour and pride to the nation.

“Mohammad Asif has made the nation proud by clinching the World Snooker Championship title for the third time,” the prime minister said, according to a PM Office statement. “Asif’s family members and coach also deserve felicitation.”

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Additionally, Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that the government is committed to prioritizing the establishment of top-notch facilities for sportsmen, ensuring they have the resources needed to excel and compete effectively on the global stage.

During the final against Gharahgozlou, Asif dominated the opening frame with a commanding score of 70-25 with an impressive display of skill. However, Gharahgozlou quickly found his rhythm in the second frame, levelling the contest with a resounding victory of 87-7.

Undeterred, Asif regained his momentum in the third frame, showcasing his talent by winning decisively at 82-8.

The Pakistani cueist then delivered a breathtaking performance in the fourth frame, executing a flawless 106 clearance break, which was his sixth-century break of the tournament.

Asif continued to exhibit his prowess in the fifth frame, further solidifying his advantage with a convincing 82-12 win, bringing his lead to a solid 4-1.

Although Gharahgozlou fought back valiantly, claiming victories in both the sixth and seventh frames, Asif proved too strong. He sealed his victory in the eighth frame with a stellar performance, executing a remarkable 93-point break.

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DOHA: Pakistani cueist Mohammad Asif has defeated Iran’s Ali Gharahgozlou to claim the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Snooker Championship 2024 title here on Wednesday.

The 42-year-old player made his entrance into the tournament as a qualifier, having received a nomination from the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) to participate as a wild card entrant.

He seized the opportunity with remarkable determination, delivering breathtaking performances that captivated audiences throughout the tournament.

Mohammad Asif clinched the coveted IBSF World Snooker Championship 2024 title with a score of 5-3 against Ali Gharahgozlou in the final.

Asif started the match with an impressive display of skill, dominating the opening frame with a commanding score of 70-25. However, Gharahgozlou quickly found his rhythm in the second frame, levelling the contest with a resounding victory of 87-7.

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Undeterred, Asif regained his momentum in the third frame, showcasing his talent by winning decisively at 82-8.

The Pakistani cueist then delivered a breathtaking performance in the fourth frame, executing a flawless 106 clearance break, which was his sixth-century break of the tournament.

Asif continued to exhibit his prowess in the fifth frame, further solidifying his advantage with a convincing 82-12 win, bringing his lead to a solid 4-1.

Although Gharahgozlou fought back valiantly, claiming victories in both the sixth and seventh frames, Asif proved too strong. He sealed his victory in the eighth frame with a stellar performance, executing a remarkable 93-point break.

This is the third individual world title of Mohammad Asif, having previously won championships in 2012 and 2019.

Moreover, he has also clinched two team titles, which makes him the most decorated cueist in the history of Pakistan with five world titles.

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Pakistan snooker prodigy Ahsan Ramzan on Tuesday, left for Saudi Arabia to partake in the IBSF U17 & U21 World Snooker Championship.

In a statement released by the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA), the Pakistan contingent, comprised of Ahsan Ramzan and Muhammad Hamza Ilyas will represent the nation in the global event.

The IBSF U17 & U21 World Snooker Championship commenced on July 7 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and will conclude on July 16.

To participate in the event, Ahsan Ramzan alongside Muhammad Hamza Ilyas flew off from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi by Saudi Arabian Airlines via flight no. SV 701 which took off at 1005 PST.

It is important to note that Ahsan Ramzan also participated in the U21 Asian Snooker Championship in Iran last month where he put on a dominant run before getting his hands on the prestigious silverware.

He continued his rich vein of form in the continental event and remained unbeaten.

In the final of the event, Ahsan Ramzan outclassed Iranian opponent Milad Pourali Darehchi with a score of 5-2 (48-46, 70-5(41), 61-6(52), 62-29, 30-71, 55-67, 101-27) to get his hands on the silverware.

Despite making his nation proud, the young cueist received no welcome upon his arrival to the country, alongside fellow cueist Haris Tahir, via Jinnah International Airport here.

“It is not a pity that no one came to welcome me,” said Ahsan Ramzan.

“I have a trophy in my hand and a gold medal around my neck and I am delighted with this honour.

“There is no hope from the government. I want to say that may Allah guide the government,” he added.

Speaking on his title-winning victory over the Iranian opponent in the final, Ahsan Ramzan asserted that his experience from the World Cup Final helped him to handle the pressure in the tense match.

“There is no doubt that an individual always gets a reward for his hard work. I have also played the final of the World Cup, that’s why I was used to playing under pressure,” said Ramzan.

It is pertinent to mention that the young snooker sensation Ahsan Ramzan rose to fame after winning the IBSF Snooker World Championship 2022 as he scripted an astounding comeback in the final against Iran’s Amir Sarkhosh from 4-2 down to eventually triumphing 6-5 and became the second-youngest cueist to seize the prestigious title.

Furthermore, Ahsan is only the third snooker player from Pakistan to win the international amateur world title after Muhammad Yousaf, who achieved the feat in 1994.

Notably, Ahsan has already won the national U17, U18 and U19 titles, while he ended up as runner-up in the U21 championship.

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DOHA: Pakistan’s young cueist Ahsan Ramzan defeated Iran’s Amir Sarkosh 6-5 to win the IBSF Under 21 World Snooker Championship 2022, here on Friday.

The final of the world championship comprises a total of 11 frames, saw a see-saw battle between the two cueists with Ahsan pulling ahead and Amir levelling.

Ahsan, was off to flying as the young cueist managed to seal a 2-0 lead in the first two frames, while Amir bounced back quickly to level the scores at 2-2 in the next two frames.

The Iranian cueist then further extended his lead to 4-2; pulling two next frames by 68-28 and 66-27 respectively.

The next two frames, saw a see-saw battle between the two cueist as Ahsan bounced back by securing his third frame, while Amir won his fifth to keep the lead intact.

In the ninth frame, Ahsan completely outclassed his Iranian opponent, winning the frame 69-0. The former then carried the momentum into the 10th frame and went on to level the scores at 5-5.

In the 11th and the deciding frame of the final, Ahsan dominated and took the lead in his control thus forcing his opponent in search of snooker in the closing minutes. However, Amir then decided to concede the match with only a maximum of 18 points left on the table and Ahsan emerged victorious by beating Amir 67-25 in the final frame.

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