The pre-quarterfinals for the Asian Men’s Snooker Championship held in Qatar were a combination of joy and heartbreak for Pakistan’s cue players. Mohammad Asif and Shahid Aftab went through the next round with confidence, while Mohammad Sajjad’s run ended through a tough defeat. National champion Shahid Aftab showed his good form on Tuesday by winning convincingly against Chinese player Zhou Jinhao by 4-1 in the round of 16 by frame margins of 59-54, 63-30, 99(71)-1, 6-65, and 62-38. In the earlier round, the 43-year-old player from Pakistan beat Singapore’s Sunny Wang by 4-1 easily in the round of the last-32 thereby keeping the momentum strong for the ongoing tournament. But Mohammad Sajjad’s run ended through the defeat against the player from Iran, Amir Sarkosh, by 4-1. Sajjad, the runner-up for the national championship, could not find his groove and the player from Iran took the initiative from the very beginning.

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In the meantime, Mohammad Asif, the former World Amateur Champion of Pakistan, defeated Youngjun Park of South Korea in a thrilling seven-frame match, winning 4-3 to secure his spot in the quarterfinals. The 42-year-old Pakistani cueist maintained composure to win with frame scores of 61(61)-71, 91(56)-27, 6-97, 72(56)-60, 10-68, 110(100)-14, and 66-50, despite losing the opening frame. Amir Sarkosh, Sajjad’s conqueror, will now face Asif in the round of eight. In the Asian Under-21 Championship, Pakistan’s up-and-coming snooker players also made a big impression, as both Ahsan Ramzan and Hamza Ilyas recorded decisive victories. Pakistan’s snooker prospects continue to shine on the international scene, indicating a promising future for the sport in Pakistan as both senior and young players make an impression at the continental event.