Nasim, Haris off to flying start in Asian under-21 snooker championship
Mohammad Naseem and Haris Tahir started their campaign in the 19th Asian under 21 snooker championship on a winning note at Yangon, Myanmar.
Reigning world under-18 champion Mohammad Naseem Akhtar cruises Thailand’s Pompiya Kaosumran by 4-1 in the opening match of group B. Winning score of Naseem was 78-7, 60-46, 51-58, 68-51, 64-25. After winning two frames, Naseem took the third frame easy and Pompiya took full advantage of it as he claimed the third frame but Naseem won the next two frames to win the match 4-1 including a solid break of 76 in the first frame.
Haris Tahir chalked up victory against Sri Lankan Ashiq Hasan in straight frames by 4-0 in group C opener. Haris scored two half-century breaks of 56 and 54 in the second and fourth frame with a score of 66-53, 112-7, 66-38, 69-39.
Third Pakistani cueist Mohammad Shahbaz to open his campaign today against Myanmar’s Aung Phyo in group D fixture.
24 cueists are featuring in the event and are divided into four groups. Top two cueists of each group will advance to the knockout round. Top four will propel into the last quarter-finals straight while the remaining eight will play elimination match with winners making their way into quarters to complete the lineup.
The event concludes on March 24.
Results:
| 1 | Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (Pakistan) | def. | Pompiya Kaosumran (Thailand) | 4-1 (78-7, 60-46, 51-58, 68-51, 64-25) |
| 2 | Haris Tahir (Pakistan) | def. | Ashiq Hasan (Sri Lanka) | 4-0 (66-53, 112-7, 66-38, 69-39) |
