ARAb StAtES diSMAyEd At WESt'S cOMPlAcENcy - Kuwait Times

SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013
SPORTS
Snooker: First Asian champion from Afghanistan
KARACHI: Saleh Mohammad yesterday
became the first Afghan to win the amateur
Asian snooker title, expressing hope that his
victory would lift the game in the war-ravaged
country. The 40-year-old, who also represented
Pakistan at a regional and world level from
1988 to 2006, beat Syria’s Omar al Kojah 7-2 in
a one-sided final. “It’s a dream come true for
me,” Mohammad said. “I don’t know, but I can
claim to be the first Afghan to become an
Asian champion in any sport and it means a lot
to my homeland where they clamor for a sporting
title.” Pakistan organized the 29th edition
of the Asian championship despite a rise in violence
in both Karachi and the country at large.
Mohammad, who lived in Pakistan for many
years after becoming a refugee but in 2006
switched to representing Afghanistan, won a
glittering trophy and $7,000. He now runs a
snooker parlor in Kabul and called on the government
of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to
increases its support for the game. “Snooker is
gaining in popularity day by day... and can help
divert youth from being involved in unhealthy
activity to a peaceful and rewarding game,” he
said.
Mohammad reached the final of the world
amateur snooker championship in China in
2003 while representing Pakistan. The
International Billiards and Snooker Federation
president Jim Leacy praised the hosts for
organizing a successful event in which 14
countries featured. “I had no hesitation in coming
to Pakistan and the successful hosting and
wide coverage of the event has made me envious,”
Leacy said at the prize distribution.
India refused to send its players amidst
heightening tension between the two countries
and security fears for their players.
Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association
president Aalmgeer Shaikh hoped the event
would remove doubts about the safety of visiting
sportsmen in the country. “We hope that
more and more international sports will be
held in our country,” said Shaikh. Pakistan has
been a no-go zone for international teams
since militants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket
team in March 2009. — AFP
Amir Shooting Grand
Prix begins Thursday
KUWAIT: Kuwait Shooting
Club is putting the final
touches on the preparations
for the launching of The
Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-
Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s
annual Shooting Grand Prix
next Thursday. In a press
statement on Thursday,
Kuwait Shooting Club said
the three-day event will see
competitions in different
Olympic shooting contests;
skeet, trap, double trap, 50
meters rifle prone, 50 Engineer Duaij Al-Otaibi
meters free pistol, 25 pistol,
10 meter air pistol and rifle etc. President of Arab Shooting
Federation and the Higher Organizing Committee of the
The Amir Grand Prix Competition Duaij Khalaf Al-Otaibi
expressed gratitude for HH the Amir’s sponsorship of the
completion and his non-stop support to Kuwaiti sports,
particularly shooting. The Amir’s support to Kuwaiti shooters
has resulted in great achievements for Kuwaiti sports,
the latest of which was Kuwait’s shooter Fuhaid Al-
Daihani’s win of his second Olympic medal in the London
Olympic Games. — KUNA
Ilonen takes 3-shot
lead at China open
TIANJIN: A relaxed Mikko Ilonen of Finland brightened his
chances of ending a six-year trophy drought on the European
Tour with a sizzling nine-under-par 63, which gave him a
three-shot cushion at the halfway stage of the China Open
yesterday. Ilonen’s spotless round took him to a two-day total
of 12-under at the $3.2 million event, co-sanctioned with
OneAsia, with two recent winners - Australian Brett Rumford
and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat - chasing him on nineunder.
The Finn, whose two European Tour victories came in 2007,
has already finished ninth in Qatar and second in Morocco this
season and looked set for another strong show at the Tianjin
Binhai Lake Golf Club.
“I hit the ball better than yesterday,” Ilonen, who carded a
69 in the opening round, said. “I gave myself a few more
chances on the greens, especially on the back nine, and managed
to take quite a few of them, so it was a very stress-free
round today. “I didn’t put myself in any trouble at all, which is
always nice, and it’s nice to be three ahead going into the
weekend.”
Rumford, last week’s Ballantine’s Champion, found motivation
in the 67th birthday of his caddie John Roberts to shoot a
five-under-par 67 for a share of second place. “Each player has
their own motivation, I guess, and that varies from day-today,”
said Rumford, who ended a five-year drought with victory
in Korea last week.
“It was in my mind at the beginning of the day that it
would be nice to shoot 67 on Ronnie’s 67th birthday.
Tomorrow I’ll have to find something different to motivate
me.” Thailand’s Kiradech, who won his maiden European Tour
title at the Malaysian Open in March, also carded a 67, mixing
six birdies with a lone bogey. — Reuters
Jet-lagged Els stays
in hunt in Indonesia
Thongchai takes second round lead
JAKARTA: South African Ernie Els
struggled with jet-lag but stayed
within striking distance of Thai veteran
Thongchai Jaidee who took a
two-stroke lead at the halfway
stage of the Indonesian Masters in
Jakarta yesterday. British Open
champion Els was tied fourth, four
strokes behind Thongchai, after
carding five birdies against three
bogeys for a two-under-par 70 at
the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
“Today was a bit of a jet-lag day
for me. I was trying to get some
energy going. Hopefully, I will have
more energy tomorrow. I think my
game is all there. I just need to get a
bit sharper mentally,” the big South
African said. “I was hoping for a better
score but I didn’t quite get it. My
game is not too bad. I just need to
eliminate some really small mistakes.
“This is the type of course where
you can get a little bit aggressive.
I’m hitting the ball quite nicely so I
like to stay aggressive. If I get myself
in position, I will go for flags and get
my putts in,” the four-times major
winner said. A confident Thongchai,
three-times Asian Tour Order of
Merit winner, hit a blemish-free seven-under-par
65 to move two shots
ahead of Australian Scott Barr. “I
hope I can keep my confidence like
this in the next few days.
If I drive, hit and putt like today
then I think I have a good chance to
win the tournament,” the Thai, who
has been joined by his wife and two
sons in Jakarta, said.
“My putting wasn’t that good in
the last few months but it is coming
around now. “I played very solid
and I have no complains at all. I
think I have a chance to go even
lower in the next few days. I’m only
halfway there.
There are many strong players
here but getting off to 10-under
after two rounds gives me a good
chance.” Wade Ormsby of Australia
was three shots behind the leader
and Hung Chien-yao of Chinese
Taipei and three more Australians,
Kieran Pratt, Jake Higginbottom
and Scott Hend, shared fourth place
with Els. — Reuters
JAKARTA: Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand plays during the second day of the
$750,000 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.- AFP