Asian Snooker Championship 2013 27 April - 3 May in Karachi

The 2013 Asian Snooker Championship will be held from 27th April - 4th May in Karachi, Pakistan.

Interesting to see how seriously this is taken in Pakistan - as host nation they will be entitled to 8 players, and they are holding a training session for the 8 nominated players from 14th April until the tournament starts.

Well, this is the draw at the moment, not sure whether they might change things as one of the Indian players was due to be in one of the 4 player groups, so only 3 players there following India's withdrawal. And a Mongolian team was reported to be due to arrive in the Pakistani press, even though no Mongolians listed in the draw ...

Group A
MOHAMMAD ASIF (Pakistan)
FUNG KWOK WAI (Hong Kong)
MOHSEN A. AZIZ BUKHSHAISHA (Qatar)
RYAN SOMARATHNE (Sri Lanka)

Group B
SALEH MOHAMMAD MOHAMMADI (Afghanistan)
SOHEIL VAHEDI (Iran)
IMRAN SHEHZAD (Pakistan)

Group C
KARAM FATIMA (Syria)
WANG YUCHIN (China)
HAMZA AKBAR (Pakistan)
HUSSEN JAFFER HADY (Iran)
HWANG CHUL HO (South Korea)

Group D
EHSAN HEYDARI NEZHAD (Iran)
YUTTAPOP PAKPOJ (Thailand)
OMAR AL KOJAH (Syria)
MICHEAL ANGELO G. MENGORIO (Philippines)
ABU SAIM (Pakistan)

Group E
RATCHAYOTHIN YOTHARUCK (Thailand)
MOHAMMAD LABABI (Iran)
Tommy ANG BOON CHIN (Singapore)
BABAR MASIH (Pakistan)

Group F
ZHAO XINTONG (China)
MOHAMMAD SAJJAD (Pakistan)
ALI JALIL ALI (Iraq)
HAN SANG HEE (South Korea)
RODOLFO DIAZ LORDAN Jr. (Philippines)

Group G
Marvin LIM CHUN KIAT (Singapore)
MOHAMMAD RAIS SENZAI (Afghanistan)
MOHAMMED AL JOAKAR (UAE)
SUSANTHA BOTHEJU (Sri Lanka)
ABDUL SATTAR (Pakistan)

Group H
MOHAMMED MUSTAFA SHEHAB (UAE)
AHMED SAIF (Qatar)
SHAHID AFTAB (Pakistan)
BOONYARIT KAETTIKUN (Thailand)
Andy LEE CHUN WAI (Hong Kong)

The chap who was tweeting me about the Indian players thing and saying all are welcome and will be looked after runs a website for snooker in Pakistan which can be found here http://www.snooker.pk/index.html

Well, there's at least one Mongolian player as a Group B match has taken place between Saleh Mohammad and Mongolia's Enkhjargal Enkhbaatar (Mohammad won 4 - 1).

Nice opening by IBSF World Champion Muhammad Asif of Pakistan, a break of 118 and a 78 in beating Sri Lanka's Ryan Somarathne 4 - 0

And a 101 break by Ali Jalil Ali of Iraq in his 2-4 loss to Pakistan's Muhammad Sajjad

Anyone know anything about Chinese player Wang Yuchin? Not a name I recognise, seems a strange choice for this and has already lost 1-4 to Pakistani national champion Hamza Akbar ... unless Wang Yuchin is known by another name?

By contrast, the other Chinese player Zhao Xintong has defeats of Xiao Guodong, Yu Delu, Ken Doherty, Andrew Higginson and Jamie Cope to his credit this season.

GrinningGrinned: @snookerisland Please tell roy142857 Wang Yuchin who play Asian Snooker Championship is incorrect Pinyin. Refer to http://t.co/6Lz2TSWTCO

Sonny wrote:GrinningGrinned: @snookerisland Please tell roy142857 Wang Yuchin who play Asian Snooker Championship is incorrect Pinyin. Refer to http://t.co/6Lz2TSWTCO

That makes more sense - thanks!

Struggling to get results, only the first days results on the ACBS website (www.acbs.qa)

UAE competitors Mohammed Shehab and Mohammed Al Joaker are both out after the group stage, losing when they needed wins in their final matches. Shehab lost his last group match to Thailand's Boonyarit Keatikun (who had a 102 break) 0 - 4, Mohammad Rais Senzahi of Afghanistan beat Al Joakar 4 - 3. Al Joakar had crucially also lost to 4 - 0 to Singapore's Marvin Lim.

Results from broadcaster Geo Super's facebook page:

Marvin Lim Chun Kiat (Singapore) bt Susantha Bhoteju (Sri L/K) 4-0
Zhao Xin Tong (China) bt Han Sang Hee (S.Korea) 4-0
Zhao Xin Tong break of 101
Shahid Aftab (Pak) bt Ahmed Saif (Qtr) 4-2
Ratchayothin Yotharuck (Thai) bt Babar Masih (Pak) 4-2
Mohammad Lababi (Iran) bt Tommy Ang Boon Chin (Singapore) 4-1

These results from Snooker Thailand net facebook page :

Yuttapop Pakpoj (Thailand) 4 - 3 Ehsan Heydari Nezhad (Iran)
Ratchayothin Yotharuck (Thailand) 4 - 0 Mohammad Lababi (Iran)
Boonyarit Kaettikun (Thailand) 4 - 1 Shahid Aftab (Pakistan)
Andy Lee Chun Wai (Hong Kong) 4 - 2 Boonyarit Kaettikun (Thailand)

Last 16 today I believe, wonder who they are ... according to Pakistani press, their players Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Sajjad, Hamza Akbar and Abu Saim all through.

IBSF World Champion Mohammad Asif went out in the last 16, losing 3 - 4 to Hong Kong's Andy Lee Chun Wai despite winning the first 3 frames. A bad day for Thailand too ... and in the end, overall disappointment for Pakistan.

Other last 16 results:

Zhao Xin Tong (China) 4 - 0 Muhammad Rais Senzai (Afghanistan)
Abu Saim (Pakistan) 4 - 1 Boonyarit Kaettikun (Thailand)
Aaamir Sarkosh (Iran) 4 - 3 Ratchayothin Yotharuck (Thailand)
Mohammad Sajjad (Pakistan) 4 - 2 Karam Fatima (Syria)
Saleh Mohammed (Afghanistan) 4 - 0 Fung Kwok Wai (Hong Kong)
Mohammad Labibi (Iran) 4 - 2 Humza Akbar (Pakistan)
Omer Al Kojah (Syria) 4 - 2 Marvin Lim Chun Kiat (Singapore)


Quarter finals - can only find these in Pakistani reports

Zhao Xin Tong (China) 5 - 3 Abu Saim (Pakistan)
Aaamir Sarkosh (Iran) 5 - 2 Mohammad Sajjad (Pakistan)

Other quarter finals are / were

Andy Lee Chun Wai (Hong Kong) v Omer Al Kojah (Syria)
Saleh Mohammad (Afghanistan) v Mohammad Labibi (Iran)

Apparently Zhao Xintong had been 0-3 down in his match with Abu Saim ... and he's only 15 years old, which I hadn't realised.

Other quarter finals results:

Omer Al Kojah (Syria) 5 - 1 Andy Lee Chun Wai (Hong Kong)

Saleh Mohammad (Afghanistan) 5 - 1 Mohammad Labibi (Iran)

Semi final line - up:

Zhao Xintong (China) v Saleh Mohammad (Afghanistan)

Omer Al Kojah (Syria) v Aamir Sarkosh (Iran)

Semi finals

Saleh Mohammad (Afghanistan) 6 - 3 Zhao Xintong (China)

Omar al Kojah (Syria) 6 - 5 Aamir Sarkosh (Iran)
Sarkosh had a 102 break

Afghanistan's Saleh Mohammad is Asian Snooker Champion. (Should help gain custom at his snooker parlour in Kabul!)

Final

Saleh Mohammad (Afghanistan) 7 - 2 Omar al Kojah (Syria)
Mohammad had a clearance of 121



Despite the rising numbers of younger players, the tournament and $7000 first prize was won by a player who can now enter Masters tournaments (He is now 40). Saleh represented Pakistan for many years whilst a refugee in Pakistan, but is originally from Afghanistan.

hi,friend
Group A
MOHAMMAD ASIF (Pakistan)
FUNG KWOK WAI (Hong Kong)
MOHSEN A. AZIZ BUKHSHAISHA (Qatar)
RYAN SOMARATHNE (Sri Lanka)

Group B
SALEH MOHAMMAD MOHAMMADI (Afghanistan)
SOHEIL VAHEDI (Iran)
IMRAN SHEHZAD (Pakistan)

Group C
KARAM FATIMA (Syria)
WANG YUCHIN (China)
HAMZA AKBAR (Pakistan)
HUSSEN JAFFER HADY (Iran)
HWANG CHUL HO (South Korea)

Group D
EHSAN HEYDARI NEZHAD (Iran)
YUTTAPOP PAKPOJ (Thailand)
OMAR AL KOJAH (Syria)
MICHEAL ANGELO G. MENGORIO (Philippines)
ABU SAIM (Pakistan)

Group E
RATCHAYOTHIN YOTHARUCK (Thailand)
MOHAMMAD LABABI (Iran)
Tommy ANG BOON CHIN (Singapore)
BABAR MASIH (Pakistan)

Group F
ZHAO XINTONG (China)
MOHAMMAD SAJJAD (Pakistan)
ALI JALIL ALI (Iraq)
HAN SANG HEE (South Korea)
RODOLFO DIAZ LORDAN Jr. (Philippines)

Group G
Marvin LIM CHUN KIAT (Singapore)
MOHAMMAD RAIS SENZAI (Afghanistan)
MOHAMMED AL JOAKAR (UAE)
SUSANTHA BOTHEJU (Sri Lanka)
ABDUL SATTAR (Pakistan)

Group H
MOHAMMED MUSTAFA SHEHAB (UAE)
AHMED SAIF (Qatar)
SHAHID AFTAB (Pakistan)
BOONYARIT KAETTIKUN (Thailand)
Andy LEE CHUN WAI (Hong Kong)

ones again congratulation to Mohammad Asif Pakistan who has won the world and Asian champions.