IBSF World Masters
MANAMA: Muhammad Asif, the experienced cueist from Pakistan, defeated Manan Chandra of India 4-2 in the semi-final of the IBSF World Masters Snooker Championship on Thursday at the Crowne Plaza in Bahrain, securing his spot in the championship final.
Asif, a former world amateur snooker champion, put on an impressive display of skill and resilience. Despite losing two of the first three frames, the Pakistani maestro bounced back to win the next three in dominant fashion and seal a place in the final. The frame scores were 118-6, 0-84, 25-76, 92-11, 87-62, and 72-41.
The match began with a commanding performance from Asif, who dismantled Chandra in the opening frame with a 118-6 win. However, the Indian cueist responded with equal resolve, clinching the next two frames to take a 2-1 lead. Refusing to back down, Asif found his rhythm again and reeled off three consecutive frames, displaying clinical shot-making and tactical acumen to secure the 4-2 victory.
Asif will now face the winner of the other semi-final between India’s Vijay Nichani and Brijesh Damani, the latter of whom had previously defeated Asif in the group stage—setting up a potentially high-stakes rematch.
In another impressive achievement for Pakistan snooker, 16-year-old rising star Hasnain Akhtar also advanced to the final of the IBSF World U17 Snooker Championship. The young cueist delivered a flawless performance, overpowering Poland’s Oliwier Nizialek 4-0 in the semi-final. The frame scores were 76-1, 69-8, 88-0, and 62-37.
Hasnain dominated from the outset, claiming the first three frames with authority. While Nizialek offered some resistance in the final frame, he ultimately could not withstand the consistent pressure from the Pakistani youngster. Hasnain will now meet Wales’ Riley Powell in the final scheduled for Friday.
Notably, Hasnain had earlier defeated Poland’s Krzysztof Czapnik 3-1 in the quarter-finals to book his semi-final spot, continuing a brilliant run in which he has dropped only one frame throughout the tournament.
The dual success of Muhammad Asif and Hasnain Akhtar highlights Pakistan’s growing presence and potential in the international snooker arena across both senior and junior levels.
