The National Snooker Championship for the U.W. Sumathipala Trophy is in progress at the Moors Sports Clubtables.
This year the championship is played among 29 top ranked players from all parts of the country. They were qualified for the nationals appearing for the district level championships. Susantha Boteju who has won the national title many times is expected to come up with his best to overcome the young and the experienced Cueists to regain the lost prestige. Meanwhile K.H. Sirisoma with a record of 26 National Billiard Championship titles will also be seen in action with the hope of bagging the Snooker title for 2017.
It is interesting to note that majority of the cueists at this years’ championship are youngsters which indicates a bright future for the Cue sport in Sri Lanka.
The National Championship has been sponsored by Sumathipala Group of Companies for nearlt two decades and this year too they have come forward to sponsor the event.
The winner will be awarded the U.W. Sumathipala Challenge Trophy.
The 29 Cueists are grouped into eight groups where they play a round robin tourney. The top two tyeam each group will qualify for the final round.
Group ‘A’: M.F.M. Fazil, F. Hussain, M. Abzal
Group ‘B’: S.M.A. Sherideen, M.R.M. Reezan, Riyaz Noor, T.D. Maduranga
Group ‘C’: Ryan Somaratne, M. Shafraz, M.F.M. Fahim, W.S.T Madushanka
Group’D’: Susantha Boteju, M.J.A. Thasleem, M.R.T. Chandana, D. John
Group ‘E’: M.S.M. Razeed, M.S.Fernando, S. Liyanage
Group ‘F’: M.Z.A. Zulfi, T.H.M. FArshad, M.Thaha, AShamil Ameen
Group ‘G’: M.M.Mubeen, S.H.M. Aslam, K.H. Sirisoma