1 day Ago By Sahan Weerasooriya
SAARC Snooker Championship conducted by Billiards and Snookers Association of Sri Lanka will commence at the Moors Sports Club billiards table in Colombo today. The four-day championship organized by the South Asian Cue Sports Association will see 14 cueists from six nations competing for the prestigious M.J.
M. Lafir Memorial Trophy. It is the third edition of the tournament.
The inaugural championship was hosted by Bangladesh in the year 2019. It was won by Asjad Iqbal of Pakistan when he defeated compatriot Mohammad Bilaal while the second edition was held in 2022. In 2022, Ishpreet Singh Chadha of India won defeating compatriot Brijesh Damani.
Malship Group along with Pyramid Wilmar, Olanda Villas, National Olympic Committee, Automobile Association and Crown Billiard International have come together to sponsor the event. The tournament will witness the participation of 14 cueists with four from Sri Lanka and two each from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal. The hosts are represented by Susantha Boteju who has won 19 national snooker championship titles, Irshath Thaha the reigning national billiard, six red ball snooker and the national snooker champion, Murugesu Prathap and Mohamed Musharaf.
Pakistan fields three time world snooker champion Mohammad Asif who is also the reigning world snooker champion and Naseem Akhta. India will have Saurav Kothari and Paras Gupta, while Bangladesh are represented by Ahmed Nizam Uddin and Asif Imran. Afghanistan will field Salih Mohammad and Mohammad Rahim and Nepal’s pair are Ayush Gautam and Ankit Man Shrestha.
The opening ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Moors Sports Club billiards parlour at 9.00 a.m.
.
