Pakistan play Thailand today in Asian snooker championship final in Riyadh

Pakistan’s Awaisullah Muneer plays a shot during Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship in Riyadh on July 2, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports)
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Updated 05 July 2024
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Pakistan play Thailand today in Asian snooker championship final in Riyadh

  • Duo of Asjad Iqbal and Awais Munir beat Hongkong in semis, India in quarter-finals
  • Asian 15-Red Men’s Team Snooker Championship 2024 taking place in Saudi Arabia

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan snooker team has qualified for the Asian 15-Red Men’s Team Snooker Championship 2024 finals and will play Thailand today, Friday, after the duo of Asjad Iqbal and Awais Munir beat Hong Kong in a match-winning 3-1 semifinal performance in Riyadh.
The Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports (ACBS), which governs non-professional snooker and English billiards in the Asian region, has organized the international snooker tournament. The ACBS, previously known as the Asian Billiards and Snooker Federation, was officially inaugurated in 1984.
“Pakistan has qualified for the final of Asian 15-Red Men’s Team Snooker Championship 2024 beating Hong Kong in Saudi Arabia,” state-run Radio Pakistan said on Friday. “In the semifinal, the Pakistani team defeated Hong Kong by 3-1 in Riyadh.”
The Pakistani team played arch-rival neighboring India in the quarter-finals, beating India’s Sarav Kothari and Hussain Khan by 3-0 with frame scores of 63-35, 75-22 and 70-06. Earlier, Pakistan also defeated Myanmar 3-0 with frame scores of 87-39, 72-45, and 71-25.
The Pakistani team has already secured the silver medal in the Asian snooker championship by reaching the semifinals. The championship comprises 18 teams divided into six groups, with the top four teams in the round matches qualifying directly for the quarterfinals. 
Last year, Pakistani snooker player Mohammad Asif stunned seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry 4-2 in the qualifying round of the British Open.


Sudan beat Equatorial Guinea for rare AFCON win

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Sudan beat Equatorial Guinea for rare AFCON win

  • Unlucky Torino center-back Coco saw the ball come off him and ricochet into the net in the 74th minute

CASABLANCA: Sudan boosted their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations after a Saul Coco own goal gave them a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.

Unlucky Torino center-back Coco saw the ball come off him and ricochet into the net in the 74th minute in Casablanca when his teammate Luis Asue attempted to clear a Sudan free-kick.

Sudan won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970 but this is just their second victory in 18 matches across six appearances at the tournament since then.

They lie 117th in the FIFA world rankings, compared to Equatorial Guinea in 97th.

The win leaves Kwesi Appiah’s team on three points from two games in Group E, while Equatorial Guinea have lost both matches so far.

Sudan are competing at this AFCON in Morocco despite the country having been devastated since war broke out between the army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.

They will play Burkina Faso in their last group game on Wednesday and will be aiming to reach the knockout stages of the Cup of Nations for just the second time since that 1970 triumph — they got to the quarter-finals in 2012 before losing to eventual winners Zambia.