Pakistani Muhammad Sajjad revives memory of Golden days
While Pakistani’s are busy bashing Hussey on one side another Pakistani Muhammad Sajjad berths in the finals of 26th Asian Snooker Championship thwarting local player Thirapong Paiboon 6-3 in the semifinals on Friday. Up in his only third Asian championship, Sajjad chalked up his fourth century break of the event. Issara's had been enjoying the highest break - 133-point - of the tournament until Thursday night when Sajjad conjured up 134 to raise the bar. In the last 12 years Sajjad is the first Pakistan cueist, and second overall, to reach the final of the Asian Snooker Championship after Muhammad Yousuf gave the country first crown in 1998 Asian festivity in Karachi.
Asian Snooker Championship started back in 1984. Thailand has a monopoly in the championship with 13 titles. India and china are sharing three medals each. Malaysia became the champion twice while Philippine Hong Kong and Pakistan got Asian Champion’s title only once. Once again Pakistan has got another chance to be the champion after twelve years.
26-years old Sajjad is from Sargodha a city in central Punjab, and he is Pakistan’s top cueist. He first came to the national circuit in 2008 and on his maiden appearance he became the National Champion.
The Billiards Association of Pakistan was founded in 1958 with Justice H.B. Tayyabji, retired, as its first President. The first national amateur championship of Snooker was organised in 1960. The credit for the formation of the World Amateur Billiards and Snooker Federation goes to Mr. Fakharuddin Tawawala. This body is responsible for the organization of the World Amateur Championship of Billiards and Snooker. Pakistan, by an undisputed vote, was handed over the responsibility of organizing the second World Amateur Championship in 1965. But due to war with India, it held in 1966.
England, Scotland Ceylon and Australia’s National champs also participated in that championship. The increasing reputation of billiards and snooker provoked the organizers to revive the association in 1979. Earlier in the quarterfinals Sajjad outplayed Sitthidead Sackbiang of Laos 5-2 and maintained his ruthless form in the semifinal by beating the Thai player.
Sajjad took off from a great start when he stamped out a brilliant break of 104 in the first frame to put his mighty opponent under pressure and added the second with another fine break of 59.
However Paiboon fought back strongly and picked fifth and sixth frame, but by playing smartly Sajjad pegged Paiboon back and grabbed next three consecutive frames.
The scores were 105-1, 84-4, 0-92, 82-47, 34-70, 17-101, 88-21, 62-26, and 72-33 in the best of 11 frames encounter.
In another semifinal Issara Kachaiwong outplayed former Asian champion and a celeb Yasin Merchant of India 6-2. The final score between them was 46-75, 69-65, 56-27, 105-13, 100-10, 0-80, 67-28, and 64-44.
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