Dhaka- The first edition of Sheikh Kamal Memorial SAARC Snooker Championship, organised by Bangladesh Billiard and Snooker Federation (BBSF), will start at Dhaka Club in Ramna area on Monday.
This year, five SAARC countries including India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and host Bangladesh will take part in the championship.
Afghanistan withdrew their participation at the eleventh hour while Bhutan and the Maldives have no infrastructures for snooker game, informed tournament committee director Ibrahim Tajul.
Current national champion Nizam Uddin Ahmed, runner-up Abdullah Al Muntasir Siddiqui, two times national champion Ziaur Rahman Azad and Shubho Biswas will represent Bangladesh in the competition.
In the pre-tournament press conference on Saturday at Dhaka Cub, BBSF General Secretary Syed Mahboob said “Though our players didn’t have enough practice, we hope our players will be able to reach into the quarter-finals. We will be happy, if two to three of our players’ can do that.”
Champions will get USD 2500 as award money and USD 1500 for runners-up while USD 1000 each for fourth and fifth place finishers.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh is going to arrange an international snooker tournament for the second time after the President Cup in 1987.UNB
