Yasin Merchant

Other top contenders at the week-long event, to be held at Gymkhana premises, are Mohammed Joker of UAE, national champion Manan Chandra and two-time Asian champion Yasin Merchant, who is also a member of the Organising Committee.

Yasin Merchant, the merchant of cue sports, called it quits on Thursday with a tinge of sadness when he went down fighting 4-5 against Australia's Steve Mifsud in an enthralling last match of his career in the IBSF World Snooker Championship here.

While century-breaks continued to rain in the IBSF World snooker championship, and eight Indians qualified for the knockout stage, 26-year old Omar Alkojah provided a lot of cheer for Syria by defeating twice Asian champion Yasin Merchant 4-3 in a cliffhanger en route to the knockout round in Bangalore on Wednesday.

Ace Indian cueist Yasin Merchant has to wait until Wednesday to book a berth in the knockout stages as he lost to England's Martin O'Donnel on the second day of the IBSF World Snooker Championship here.

Seven-time world champion Pankaj Advani may be the biggest name among the 11 Indians in fray at the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Bangalore, but it would not be easy for him given his dismal form and the presence of tough challengers such as Yasin Merchant and Alok Kumar.

The cueists turned out to be the saving grace by bagging a silver medal as the fancied shooters came a cropper on a disappointing third day of competitions in the 16th Asian Games which saw India slip to the seventh position on the medals table on Monday.

India had to be content with a silver medal in the men's snooker team event at the ongoing Asian Games after losing their summit clash 1-3 to hosts China at the Town Gymnasium on Monday.

Yet to get a reply from Rahul Gandhi, two-time Asian champion cueist Yasin Merchant said he expects at least an acknowledgement of his letter from the AICC General Secretary.

Reigning world billiards champion Pankaj Advani has supported fellow cueist Yasin Merchant's criticism of the Padma awards' selection procedure, saying that despite being by and large fair it gets influenced by political pressure and lobbying.

They are among the most prestigious awards given away by the government, but this year the Padma Awards committee's choice is creating one furore after another.

Miffed at being ignored for the Padma Shri award, two-time Asian champion cueist Yasin Merchant has shot off an emotional letter to AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, ridiculing some of this year's awardees.

Pankaj Advani and veteran Yasin Merchant maintained their winning streaks in the IBSF World Snooker Championship on Tuesday.

Other top contenders at the week-long event, to be held at Gymkhana premises, are Mohammed Joker of UAE, national champion Manan Chandra and two-time Asian champion Yasin Merchant, who is also a member of the Organising Committee.

Yasin Merchant, the merchant of cue sports, called it quits on Thursday with a tinge of sadness when he went down fighting 4-5 against Australia's Steve Mifsud in an enthralling last match of his career in the IBSF World Snooker Championship here.

While century-breaks continued to rain in the IBSF World snooker championship, and eight Indians qualified for the knockout stage, 26-year old Omar Alkojah provided a lot of cheer for Syria by defeating twice Asian champion Yasin Merchant 4-3 in a cliffhanger en route to the knockout round in Bangalore on Wednesday.

Ace Indian cueist Yasin Merchant has to wait until Wednesday to book a berth in the knockout stages as he lost to England's Martin O'Donnel on the second day of the IBSF World Snooker Championship here.

Seven-time world champion Pankaj Advani may be the biggest name among the 11 Indians in fray at the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Bangalore, but it would not be easy for him given his dismal form and the presence of tough challengers such as Yasin Merchant and Alok Kumar.

The cueists turned out to be the saving grace by bagging a silver medal as the fancied shooters came a cropper on a disappointing third day of competitions in the 16th Asian Games which saw India slip to the seventh position on the medals table on Monday.

India had to be content with a silver medal in the men's snooker team event at the ongoing Asian Games after losing their summit clash 1-3 to hosts China at the Town Gymnasium on Monday.

Yet to get a reply from Rahul Gandhi, two-time Asian champion cueist Yasin Merchant said he expects at least an acknowledgement of his letter from the AICC General Secretary.

Reigning world billiards champion Pankaj Advani has supported fellow cueist Yasin Merchant's criticism of the Padma awards' selection procedure, saying that despite being by and large fair it gets influenced by political pressure and lobbying.

They are among the most prestigious awards given away by the government, but this year the Padma Awards committee's choice is creating one furore after another.

Miffed at being ignored for the Padma Shri award, two-time Asian champion cueist Yasin Merchant has shot off an emotional letter to AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, ridiculing some of this year's awardees.

Pankaj Advani and veteran Yasin Merchant maintained their winning streaks in the IBSF World Snooker Championship on Tuesday.