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28 March 2024

Dubai blazes green baize: Major snooker event

UAEBSA vice-president Mohammed Tamjid Abdullah addresses a press conference in Dubai on Tuesday. (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Staff

All arrangements have been finalised to stage the 2012 Dubai International Open featuring 32 top ranked snooker players from 11 Asian countries from November 4-10 at Dubai Snooker Club.

Mohammed Tamjid Abdullah, Vice-President of the UAE Billiards & Snooker Association (UAEBSA), told a news conference on Tuesday afternoon that the tournament was being staged to help Asian countries, including the host country, prepare for the forthcoming 2012 IBSF World Snooker Championship to be held in Sofia on November 24-December 2.

Abdullah said: "The tournament shall serve as a great opportunity for the participants to gain important matchplay before the world event in Sofia. The response that we received from the invited countries was very positive and encouraging as they realise the importance of such an event.

"The UAE will be represented by experienced pair of Mohamed Shehab and Mohammed Al Joaker in the World Championship, but the Dubai International Open shall also help our other young and upcoming players to brace themselves for future challenges."

UAEBSA General Secretary Sultan Al Joaker explained that the host will be fielding 11 players in the tournament, which is being co-sponsored by Kataria Holdings and ENOC.

He said: "We are very proud of the achievements made by Mohamed (Shehab) and Mohammed (Al Joaker) for the country internationally, but we have to plan for the future as well.

"We decided to stage the event not only to help our top two players, but also to allow an opportunity for the others to gain international exposure and improve their game as well. We do have players in UAE who have the potential of becoming stars in the future."

Answering a question, Sultan Al Joaker added: "This is going to be a tough event for everyone because of the quality of the players participating. Players from Thailand and Syria are very strong, but we do have hopes of doing well."

The countries taking part in the Dubai International Open are Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Thailand, Syria and UAE.

The Thai challenge will be spearheaded by former world youth champion Noppon Saengkham and Pramual Jantad, a former Asian under-21 title-holder. Omar Alkojah and Karam Fatima, winners of gold and silver medals respectively at the 2012 Arab Championships at the same venue last month, will be representing Syria in the event.

The members of the UAE squad are Mohamed Shehab, Mohammed Al Joaker, Abdulrahman Saif, Mohammed Hussain, Saif Al Kitbi, Khalid Kamali, Ahmed Abdulqader, Saeed Al Zaabi, Marwan Ibrahim, Ahmed Shehab and Badr Obaid Almehairi.

The 32 participants will be divided into eight groups of four each for the first round, round robin action.

The top two from each group will make it to the last 16 stage for which another round robin battle will take place with the qualifiers being split into four groups.