IBSF clears Pakistan to stage World Snooker in 2005

KARACHI: Almost all the European countries have given green signal to Pakistan to stage World Snooker Championship in 2005 during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) in Veldhoven Wednesday, announced Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) president Asghar Valika on Thursday.

He said newly elected IBSF president Pascal Guillaume personally phoned from Netherlands and congratulated him for hosting the event in Pakistan next year.

Talking to reporters on phone from Dubai, where he is on a business trip, delighted Asghar Valika said it was a great honour that Pakistan had been given the right to play host of the World Snooker Championship for the third time after 1966 and 1993.

He said it would be a big boost for the game and breakthrough for Pakistan to secure the rights to conduct the world event.

The PBSA won the bid to stage the mega event during the World Championship in Cairo in 2002 but its confirmation was delayed due to security fears by some European countries. He said hosting of the event would allow Pakistan to field minimum of eight cueists in the championship. “This kind of exposure will allow Pakistani players to lift their game,” he added. Pakistani delegate Shahnawaz Khan and Alamgir Shaikh made the presentation at the AGM of the IBSF on Wednesday. All the security fears of the participating nations were cleared and the IBSF AGM gave go ahead signal to Pakistan to hold the event in November 2005. The PBSA boss said a meeting of the PBSA would be held in a couple of weeks to finalize the dates and venue of the championship. app

Home | Sport