In a significant achievement, Pakistan’s snooker team, comprising Awais Munir and Asjad Iqbal, advanced to the semi-finals of the ACBS Asian 15 Red Men’s Team Snooker Championship 2024, held in Riyadh. The team secured their semi-final berth after an impressive 3-0 victory against India 2, represented by Sarav Kothari and Hussain Khan. The match saw Pakistan dominating with scores of 63-35, 75-22, and 70-06.
The semi-final match is set to take place tonight, where Pakistan will face a formidable opponent, Hong Kong. Reaching the semi-finals guarantees Pakistan at least a bronze medal in the tournament.
Pakistan’s journey in the championship has been marked by consistent performances. On the opening day, they triumphed over Saudi Arabia 2 with a clean sweep of 3-0, scoring 89-0(76), 64-23, and 81-01. They continued their winning streak by defeating Myanmar 3-0 with frame scores of 87-39, 72-45, and 71-25, securing their spot in the quarter-finals.
In the Asian Team Championship, 18 teams are divided into six groups. The top four teams from the group stages progress directly to the quarter-finals, while the next eight teams compete in the pre-quarter-finals to fill the remaining spots.
Adding to the team’s accolades, Awais Munir recently clinched the Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship title in Riyadh. Munir defeated Hong Kong’s Nansen Wan with a 6-3 scoreline. The match was initially balanced at 2-2, but Munir pulled ahead, winning three consecutive sets to establish a 5-2 lead. Although Nansen Wan managed to take the eighth frame, Munir’s exceptional skill in the ninth frame sealed his victory with scores of 0-65, 35-26, 27-36, 38-20, 0-65, 13-46, 8-60, 34-0, and 27-40.
This string of victories highlights Pakistan’s growing prowess in the snooker arena, raising hopes for further success in the ongoing championship.
