KARACHI: The 40th edition of Jubilee Insurance National Snooker Championship goes into action at the Shopping Arcade of Movenpick Hotel here from Saturday with 45 cueists in the fray for the crown.
Muhammad Asif Tobba will defend his title in the ten-day competition. However last year's world championship runner-up Muhammad Sajjad from Sargodha has been top seeded for the nationals.
Former National Champion Imran Shahzad also from Punjab is seeded two.
However keeping in view the track record of Punjab cuemen besides Tobba, Sajjad, former IBSF World Champion Muhammad Asif and another ex-nation title holder Hamza Akbar are among the favorites.
Toba will take on Muhammad Ishtiaq of Sindh and Muhammad Sajjad will face Muhammad Nouman Iqbal in their opening matches.
The championship is of great significance as the winner and runner-up will qualify to represent Pakistan in the Asian Snooker Championship.
Participants have been placed in eight groups for the league rounds with top two cueists from each group will be advancing to last 16 stage.
The championship carries an enhanced purse of Rs. 2,50,000. Winner of the nationals will get Rs 80,000 while the runner-up will grab Rs 50,000 and the losing semi-finalists will be receiving Rs 20,000 each.
The top 16 have been given direct entry into the Nationals while six cueists each have qualified on the basis of their efforts in the Punjab Cup, the Sindh Cup and the KPK Cup while four and two cueists have made it to the line-up from the Baluchistan Cup and federal Islamabad Cup respectively.
The PBSA has allowed all the four semi-finalists of the 7th National Junior Snooker Championship, Mohammad Fahim, Abdul Rahim,
Aamir Tariq and Muhammad Nouman Iqbal in the nationals.
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