Pakistan got off to a disappointing start on the opening day of IBSF World Snooker Championship in Bangalore (India) on Monday when debutant Muhammad Asif Toba went down to Rais Khan Sen Zhai of Afghanistan, according to an e-mail message received here.
Asif was tied 2-2 at one stage but Rais outplayed him in the last frames to emerge 2-4 winner. Rais Khan, who played in Pakistan's domestic circuit for many years with Saleh Muhammad before migrating to his native Afghanistan, won the first frame but Asif won the next to level the terms.
The Kabul cueman took the third frame and Asif made it 2-all by winning the fourth frame. However Rais Khan potted the multicolored balls smartly and tactically in the last two frames to register 58-38, 45-70, 79-09, 49-58, 100-08, 71-31 win. Pakistan number one Imran Shahzad is placed in 6-men group "J" with Ro Byoung Hwa (Korea), Arjun Lavingia (Taiwan), Krzysztof Wrobel (Poland), Mark Tuite and Saleh Muhammad (Afghanistan). Pakistan number two Muhammad Asif Toba is drawn in 5-men group "M" with Karl-Heinz Beggel (Germany), Michal Wild (England), Rais Khan Sen Zhai (Afghanistan) and Vennie Calabrese (Australia).