intense Competition Heats Upโ as IBSF World Cup of snooker Reaches Knockout Phase in Muscat
The โIBSF World Cup of Snooker is โคentering its decisive stages in Muscat, Oman, with the Round of 32, Round of 16, and quarterfinal matchesโ set toโข determine the contenders โfor the title.The tournament, hostedโ by the Sultanate of Oman and runningโ until November 23rd, has been laudedโ by players for its โขextraordinary โorganisationโฃ and high-quality facilities.
Followingโข a second day of group stage play, numerous playersโค secured vital winsโฃ to advance to the knockout rounds.Qatar’s Ali โal Obaidli defeated Oman’sโฃ Abdullah al Raisi 3-1, while malaysia’s Thor chuanโ Leong was victorious againstโฃ Afghanistan’s Mohammad Noor Zai. In Group E, Iran’s Siyavosh mozayani โคnarrowly beat Afghanistan’s Mohammad rais Senzahi 3-2, and Australia’s Hassan โkerdee achieved a โฃ3-0 winโฃ over โขOman’s Ahmed โขal Khusaibi.
Further group stage results saw Hong Kong China’s Chau Hon Man defeat Bahrain’s Khalil Busaifโ 3-0, and Poland’s Sebastian Milewski overcomeโ Oman’s Sadiq al Farsi โ3-1.China’s โDeng โHaohui defeated Afghanistan’s Mohammad Zarif โAfzali, and Egypt’s Hesham Shawky won 3-0 against Oman’s Musallamโ al Masahli.
Additional โคwins were claimed โฃby Poland’s Michal Szubarczyk, Australia’s Chi Kin Yeung, India’s Brijeshโค Damani, Bahrain’s Habib Sabah, andโค India’s โคHussain Khan. In Group โฃL, UAE’s mohamed Shehabโค defeated Iraq’s Aliโ Hussein, while egypt’s โฃMina Awadi edged France’s Gauvain โฃBazin 3-2. India’s Pankaj โฃAdvani and hong Kong China’s Chang Yu Kiu both secured โstraight-frame victories.
Iran’s Ali โGharahgozlou,Qatar’s โขAhmed Saif,UAE’s Khalid Kamali,Australia’s Adrian Ridley,Pakistan’s Muhammad asif,and India’s โAditya Mehta also continued their winning streaks. Hong Kong China’s Nansen Wan, Ukraine’s Mykhailo Larkov, โฃIran’s Amir Sarkhosh, and Tรผrkiye’s Enesโค Bakirci concluded the dayโ with strong performances in their respective groups.
Players haveโค consistently praised the tournament’s setup. Hong Kong’s Changโข Yu Kiu โขhighlighted the modern venue, comfortable playing conditions, and professional table โคand lighting standards. โขUAE’s Mohammed Mostafa Shehab, a former world title holder, described the โคorganisation in Muscatโ as “exceptional and fully integrated,” noting the high-quality tables โขand facilities. He believes this editionโค of โthe tournament is particularly competitive, with approximately 16 serious title contenders.
Oman’s Husain alโ Lawati expressed pride in his country hosting โthe event, stating the facilities and organisation meet top international standards and provide a valuable development possibility for Omani players.
The singles โขcompetition will โconclude on Wednesday, beforeโ transitioning to the team event, โฃwhich will run until November โ23rd.