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Kathmandu Friday July 07, 2000 Ahsad 23, 2057.
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Lama, Wangchuk set up snooker final
By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, July 6 - Ang Kami Lama and Tashi
Wangchuk set up the Crown Prince Birthday Cup Open Snooker final, following their win over
Ramesh Rana and Suraj Singh in the enterprising semifinals here Thursday.
In the first semifinal, Lama of Bouddha
Snooker, who has been in consistent form in the tournament, made a promising start with
the aid of 23-point break to take the opening frame at 91-9. But Ramesh Rana from
Heaven’s Snooker was not to be tempted so easily, held his nerves to pull one back to
level the match at 1-1 in the second frame to win it at 54-52.
He, however, found wanting thereafter as Lama
surged ahead from strength to strength with string of useful breaks to extend the lead to
4-1.
While Rana’s game continued to slump,
Lama overwhelmed his opponent with a stunning breaks, won the third at 99-16, fourth at
76-14 and fifth at 73-40.
With Lama in such a devastating mood,
everyone might have felt Rana would succumb quickly but he, making most out of an opening
took the sixth at 78-40 to prolong the rally. But Lama registering significant breaks of
21, 38 put pressure back on Rana and won the seventh and eighth frames at 84-24 and 70-44
respectively to coast to the Friday’s final.
Lama will take on Tashi Wangchuk of Chhorten
Snooker, who quelled the challenge of Suraj Singh of Panorama in the nerve-racking match
that went all the way to the 11th frame.
The match hanged on balance at the time much
to the delight of the spectators with either player failing to dictate the terms for too
long.
Wangchuk took the opening frame by 65-29 but
Suraj Singh responded back with some great potting took the next two for 2-1 lead in the
match. He won the second at 83-56 but it was the third frame which caught the imagination
of the crowd as he took it at 110-14 with the highest break of the tournament yet-47.
As the see-saw battle continued, Wangchuk
regained the lead by winning three frames in succession with the respective scores of
92-14, 124-7, 58-44.
Then it was the turn of Singh to dictate the
terms, pocketing next two at 70-37 and 87-35 to level the match. And it was anybody’s
match with Wangchuk taking the ninth, 87-32 and Singh winning tenth at 58-27.
After over three-hour long battle, Singh came
out trumps at 90-26 in the final frame to meet Ang Kami Lama in the final.
Earlier, Billiards, Snooker and Pool
Association of Nepal (BSPAN) honoured old players of the cue sport amid a special
function. The chief guest, member-secretary of National Sports Council, Binod Shankar
Palikhe gave away gift and certificate of honour to the players.
Those honoured on the occasion were Giridhar
Lal Manandhar, Nima Lama, Kabi Keshari Basnet, Shakti Shamsher Rana, Achyut Ram Joshi,
Poshan Raj Joshi, Dr Singha Bdr Basnet, Madan Singh Shah, Hira Bahadur Joshi, Komal Pande,
Peter Coe, Basanta Lama, Binay Raj Pande and Sashi Raj Subedi.
The mayor of the Kathmandu Metropolis, Keshav Sthapit, BSPAN
president Suraj Vaidya, managing director of Gorkha Brewery CP Khetan, a Toyota
representative.
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