The Ali Asghar Valika Championship will begin on 16 July at Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana in Karachi, bringing together 32 of Pakistan’s leading snooker players for the inaugural All-Pakistan Invitational tournament.

World Home Snooker is organising the championship with the support of B-Activation. Officials announced details of the event during a press conference attended by Syed Muhammad Talha, President of Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana, Waqar Alam, Founder of World Home Snooker, former world champion Muhammad Yousuf, Abbas Valika, Saad Jilani and Chief Referee Aqeel Latif Bakhsh.

Tournament Director Muhammad Waqas, along with organising committee members Muhammad Asif and Asad Ahmed, also attended the briefing.

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The organisers said the championship honours the late Ali Asghar Valika for his outstanding contribution to snooker in Pakistan. They noted that he dedicated more than three decades to promoting and developing the sport.

The tournament will run from 16 to 19 July at Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana. It will feature players from Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad.

Moreover, the field includes four former world champions: Muhammad Yousuf, Muhammad Asif, Ahsan Ramzan and Hassan Ramzan. The organisers expect the event to showcase some of Pakistan’s finest cueists.

The total prize money stands at PKR1.2 million. The winner will receive PKR300,000, while the runner-up will earn PKR200,000.

Meanwhile, organisers have divided the players into eight pools. The top two players from each pool will qualify for the Round of 16. The championship will conclude with the final on 19 July.