World U21 Snooker Championship Sri Lanka’s Irshath records back to back wins

By M. Shamil Amit

Sri Lanka’s reigning junior and senior national snooker and billiard champion Mohamed Thaha Irshath kept the country’s flag flying at the ongoing World U21 Snooker Championship which is in progress now in Doha, Qatar when he recorded back to wins and has assured himself of a pre-quarter final berth.   

Irshath in his first outing against Mansour Al-Obaidli of Qatar coasted to a comfortable three frames to nil win in the five-frame encounter. But he underwent some anxious moments in the second match against Thailand’s Yanawarut Phueakklom when he claimed victory in the deciding frame after the score stood at two each.   

Sri Lanka’s second contestant Fahim Kamaldeen bowed out of the competition as he underwent to Ahsan Ramzan of Pakistan and Digvijay Kadian India by same margin 3-0 respectively.   
The World U21 Snooker Championship is conducted by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) where 18 top cueists divided into five groups from the participating countries i.e, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Iran, India, Pakistan, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Syria, Germany and host Qatar battling for supremacy.   

The Women’s category championship is also being conducted concurrently where 24 cueists battle for international honours. 

Result
Mohamed Thaha Irshath (Sri Lanka) beat Mansour Al-Obaidli (Qatar) 3-0 (63/2, 51/20, 60/1)   
.Mohamed Thaha Irshath (Sri Lanka) beat Yanawarut Phueakklom (Thailand) 3-2 (62/56, 68/8, 36/68, 56/69, 60/49).