(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Mohammad Asif Reaches Semi-Finals at Asian 6-Red and Team Snooker Championship
COLOMBO – Pakistan’s hopes in the Asian 6-Red and Team Snooker Championship remain alive thanks to a strong showing by veteran cueist Mohammad Asif, who advanced to the semi-finals in Colombo on Tuesday.
While the day brought disappointment for two of Pakistan’s top players — defending champion Awaisullah Munir and experienced cueist Mohammad Sajjad — Asif’s determined performance kept the national flag flying high.
Asif began the day by defeating Cambodia’s Neang Tola 5-1 in the pre-quarterfinals. Despite dropping the opening frame 16-27, he quickly regained control, winning five straight frames [48-25, 35-32, 52-9, 43(39)-25, 40-10].
The 42-year-old continued his winning form in the quarter-finals against Malaysia’s Lim Kok Leong. Asif made a strong start with a 67 break in the first frame [67(67)-0] and took a 3-0 lead. Although the Malaysian player mounted a comeback, Asif held firm, eventually sealing a 5-3 win with a composed performance in the deciding frame [41-21].
Asif will now face Malaysia’s Thor Chuan Leong in the semi-final scheduled for Wednesday.
On the other hand, Awaisullah Munir’s title defense ended in the last-16 round. He lost 5-3 to Hong Kong’s Ming Wa Man after falling behind 4-0 early. Despite a spirited recovery that brought him within one frame, Munir couldn’t complete the comeback, with Man taking the eighth frame decisively [43-0].
Mohammad Sajjad also exited the tournament in the pre-quarterfinals, suffering a 5-0 defeat to Singapore’s Sunny Wang. Sajjad showed glimpses of resistance, especially in the fourth frame, but was unable to turn the tide.
With Asif now the last Pakistani in contention, fans will be eagerly watching as he aims for a place in the final.
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