Lahore (Sports Desk): Star cueist Mohammad Asif stole the spotlight at the NBP National Snooker Championship with a brilliant performance, registering two century breaks, while Sohail Shahzad secured a convincing 4–0 victory over Haris Khan with a century break.
On the opening day of the event, held at the National Bank Sports Complex, several senior players advanced with impressive wins. Mohammad Sajjad, Asjad Iqbal, and Shahid Aftab all emerged victorious in their respective matches. Shahid Aftab defeated Daniyal Shahzad 4–0, while Mudassar Yaqoob overcame Mohammad Yousaf.
In other encounters, Mohammad Sajjad beat M. Farhan, M. Faizan defeated Shah Khan, Owaisullah Munir overcame Shahzaib Rafi, and Zulfiqar Abdul Qadir defeated M. Shehbaz. Mohammad Asif got the better of Burjis Khan, Asjad Iqbal defeated Aftab Baig, Hasnain Akhtar beat Mohammad Naseem Akhtar, Ali Hamza overcame Ghulam Abbas, Sohail Shahzad defeated Haris Khan, and Aien Mark John beat Nasir Shah.
A total of 48 players are competing in the championship, divided into 12 groups. The top two players from each group will qualify for the knockout stage. The top eight players will advance directly to the pre-quarterfinals, while the remaining 16 players will compete in the Last-24 knockout round.
The knockout rounds will be played on a best-of-seven frames format. The pre-quarterfinals, quarterfinals, and semifinals will be contested over best-of-nine frames, while the final will be played on a best-of-eleven frames basis. Junior champions from the Under-17 and Under-21 categories are also participating in the event.
