30th KP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Open Snooker Championship Begins In Swat

The 30th edition of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Open Boys Snooker Championship got under way at Mingora, District Swat on Saturday

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 02nd Dec, 2017 ) :The 30th edition of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Open Boys Snooker Championship got under way at Mingora, District Swat on Saturday. Senior Member of the KP Olympic Association Zafar Ali was the chief guest on this occasion who formally inaugurated the Championship in which a total of 64 players taking part.

Newly elected President of the KP Billiard and Snooker Association Zulfiqar Ali Butt and other office-bearers of the association, officials and large number of spectators were also present. On the opening day Saeed Ahmad, Sikander, Yaseen and Wajid Ali made a big upsets.

In the opening match Raja Waqas of AJK beat Babar Baig of Swat by 3-2, Mansoor of Swat beat Muhammad Yousaf of AJK by 3-2, Abdul Sattar of AJK beat Hamza of Swat by 3-1, Yaseen of Peshawar beat Fawad Khan of Peshawar by 3-2, Wajid of Kohat beat Rehman of Swabi by 3-1, Mansoor of Swat beat Yousaf of AJK by 3-1, Abdul Ghaffar of AJK beat Hamza of Swat by 3-2, Aamir Shehzad of AJK beat Shahzeb of Peshawar by 3-2.

All the 64 players have been divided in four different groups. Out of the total top eight players would represent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the forthcoming National Snooker Championship.

Zalfiqar Butt on this occasion, disclosed that it is a ranking event.

He said the Championship has been organized in two different phases, the first phase had already been concluded, following with the second phase and out of the first phase total 64 players from all across KP qualified for Championship.

He said the first phase organized in all seven regions comprising Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat, Mardan, Peshawar, Hazara and Swat and top eight players of each of the regions qualified for the final phase.

Zulfiqar Butt said that KP would send 20 players for national training and coaching camp to be organized under the supervision of national coach Farhan Mirza in Lahore next month. He said talks have been continued to open up the KP Snooker Academy in Qayyum sports Complex wherein qualified coaches would impart training and coaching to the upcoming players.

The Academy was earlier working in the premises of Qayyum Sports Complex but it was closed down because of the ongoing construction work on the new pavilion. Now DG Sports Junaid Khan promised to re-open the same academy while Director General Youth Asfandyar Khan Khattak has made a promise to provide international standard table.