Snooker Nationals get underway
The 62nd National Snooker Championship conducted by the Billiards and Snooker Association of Sri Lanka got underway at the Automobile Association Club (AAC) and The Cue Club in Colombo yesterday.
M.M. Jiffrey of Galle - Pix by Mangala Weerasekara
Four matches were worked off at the AAC where Hairulla Afualdeen of EPP Kandy, M.Z.A. Zulfy of RPP won their matches while M.M. Jiffrey of Galle had fluctuated fortune when he won his first game and then lost the second match of the day.
Only two matches scheduled to be played at the Cue Club billiards table was worked off where Rawzan Ali of MICH won his match while S.H.M. Aslam of MSC received a walk-over.The 62nd National Snooker Championship is contested by the top 32 cueists of Sri Lanka. Reigning champion YMCA’s Susantha Boteju is the hot favourite to retain the title but he will face stiff opposition of OAC’s Ryan Somaratna and MSC’s S.H.M. Aslam.
Hairulla Afualdeen of Embassy PP aims a shot
Results Day One:
M.M. Jiffrey (Galle) beat M.R.T. Chandana (AAC) 4-1 (43/55, 77/49, 61/22, 51/11, 63/38); M.Z.A. Zulfy (RPP) beat Nimal de Silva (Grand Hotel N’Eliya) 4-3 (53/24, 57/45, 60/71, 29/49, 74/57, 41/84, 84/11); M.T.M. Shafraz (MICH) beat M.M. Jiffrey (Galle) 4-1 (71/16, 22/48, 65/45, 70/44, 48/46); Hairulla Afualdeen (Embassy PP Kandy) beat Nimal de Silva (Grand Hotel N’Eliya) 4-0 (56/20, 70/23, 58/11, 46/38); Rawzan Ali (MICH) beat M. Nasoordeen (MICH) 4-0 (51/20, 63/26, 59/50, 63/43). S.H.M. Aslam (MSC) received a walk-over.
Today’s schedule:
10.00am: M.M. Jiffrey (Galle) vs Rohitha de Silva (SLPA); M.M. Mubeen (Army) vs M.S.M. Rasheed (MSC); Susantha Boteju (YMCA) vs M. Pratap (Kandy SC).
2.00pm: Abdul Sattar (MSC) vs M. Akeel (AAC); Infiyas Farook (MICH) vs D. Seneviratne (YMBA); Nimal de Silva (Grand Hotel N’Eliya) vs M.N.A. Mukthar (MSC).