Nasir to appear in National Junior Snooker

KARACHI—A Birmingham-based Pakistani Shahrukh Nasir would be appearing in the revived National Junior Snooker Championship to be held in January 2008, President Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) Asghar Valika said Tuesday.
He said father of the boy, Nasir Mehboob phoned him from England and expressed his desire to enter his son in national junior competition keeping in view his potential. PBSA Chief said dates and venue for the junior championship will be finalized in due course of time.
Giving detail, he said, 15-year-old promising cueist, Shahrukh has the honor of practicing with top english professional, Tom Ford and made his first century break at tender age of ten.
He said it was nice to include an overseas players of Pakistan origin because country was already lacking in talent at the junior level and PBSA was keen to groom young talent by reviving the junior event after almost a decade.
In 1998 a England-based Pakistan professional Shokat Ali won the first-ever individual gold medal in Bangkok Asian Games Snooker and later served as coach of the team before Doha Asian Games.
Asghar Valika process to entrant for the junior championship trials has been launched in the four provinces of the country. He said overall 32 boys will be taking part in the national junior championship. He said the National Seniors Snooker Championship will be conducted in February 2008 after national juniors. PBSA official said Pakistan senior team got busy schedule in November and December with three international assignments.
Valika said a three-member Pakistan team comprising of Naveed Perwani, Khurram Agha and Abu Saim will represent the country in the Asian Indoor Games in Macau.
He said Saleh Muhammad and Imran Shehzad will feature in the World Snooker Championship to be held in Korat (Thailand) in November. In December, a four-member Pakistan team will undertake a week- long visit to New Delhi to play a fourth edition of Test series against India.—Agencies