COLOMBO: Pakistan’s journey in the singles category of the Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship ended with a bronze medal after Mohammad Asif lost 2-5 to Malaysia’s Thor Chun Leong in a gritty semi-final battle on Wednesday.
The 42-year-old cueist gave a commendable performance throughout the tournament but couldn’t find the consistency required in the semi-final clash. Asif began on the back foot as Leong dominated the opening frame 39-5. He fought back with a break of 35 to equalize, but the Malaysian player quickly regained control, winning three frames in a row — 41-0, 62(35)-0, and 43(35)-1 — to take a commanding lead.
Asif showed his trademark resilience by capturing the sixth frame 34(33)-25, keeping his medal hopes alive. However, Leong ended the contest emphatically with a 70-point break in the final frame, wrapping up the match 78(70)-0 and booking his spot in the final.
Despite the loss, Asif’s bronze medal stands as Pakistan’s only podium finish in the singles competition, and it reaffirms his status as one of the country’s most consistent international performers.
With the singles rounds now complete, all eyes are on the Team Championship, which kicks off Thursday. Pakistan will field two teams among the 16 squads competing from 13 nations.
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Pakistan 1 features the experienced duo of Awaisullah Munir and Mohammad Asif.
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Pakistan 2 comprises national champion Shahid Aftab and veteran Mohammad Sajjad.
Teams have been split into four groups. Each will play three preliminary matches in the group stage, with the top two from each group progressing to the quarter-finals.
As the team rounds commence, Pakistan will be looking to build on Asif’s bronze and make a deeper impact in the championship through collective strength.
