Sirisoma seeking to clinch title for record 23rd time
Sri Lanka Ports Authority’s (SLPA) K.H. Sirisoma, the defending national billiards champion who has won the national title on 22 occasions will be seeking to win the title for a record 23rd time. He will come out as the hot favourite at the 69th National Billiards Championship which is due to get underway from December 10 at the Billiards Association headquarters tables at Sugathadasa Hotel in Colombo.
K.H. Sirisoma
Thirty two cueists from leading clubs have entered the fray to contest for the title. The 32 players have been divided into eight groups with each group comprising of four players each.
Apart from Sirisoma the other cueists who will be in contention for the national billiards title are S.H.M. Aslam, Abdul Sattar both of Moors SC and M. Jiffrey of Galle.
The first round matches will begin from 10.00 a.m. each day and will be played in two sessions with 16 matches down for decision.
The 32 cueists who have qualified to contest are Group A – K.H. Sirisoma (SLPA), Tishan Samarasinghe (OAC), I. Peramunage (Galle CC), M.H.M. Hilmy (MICH). Group B – R.M.P. Ratnayake (Army), A.A. Kareem (MSC), M.J.A. Thasleem (AAC), S.I. Hinoon (MICH). Group C – A.D.R.C. Alwis (Army), S.H.M. Aslam (MSC), Thusitha Nadeep (Army), M. Rimzan (Army) Group D – M.M. Mubeen (Army), Rohitha de Silva (SLPA), Lakshan Samarasinghe (OAC), S.S. Dinuruwan (Army).
The players in Group E are Abdul Sattar (MSC), M.J. Chandradasa (Army), D. Seneviratne (YMBA), M. Uvais (Galle). Group F – S.M. Shaharwadie (MSC), Prasanna Pushpakumara (MICH), S. Kumarapperuma (Army), Susantha Wickrama (Army). Group G – G. Devapriya (YMCA), Anil Rohana (AAC), M. Nasoordeen (MICH), Omar Haniff (MSC). Group H – M. Jiffrey (Galle CC), Faizal Haniffa (MSC), P.A.M. Badurdeen (MSC), K.A.R. Samandisi (Army).
The schedule matches on day one:
10.00am: R.M.P. Ratnayake (Army) vs S.I. Hinoon (MICH). M.M. Mubeen (Army) vs S.S. Dinuruwan (Army). S.H.M. Aslam (MSC) vs Thusitha Nadeep (Army). Rohitha de Silva (SLPA) vs Lakshan Samarasinghe (OAC).
12.00pm: Abdul Sattar (MSC) vs M. Uvais (Galle), G. Devapriya (YMCA) vs Omar Haniff (MSC), M.J. Chandradasa (Army) vs D. Seneviratne (YMBA). Prasanna Pushpakumara (MICH) vs S. Kumarapperuma (Army).
2.00pm: K.H. Sirisoma (SLPA) vs M.H.M. Hilmy (MICH), A.D.R.C. Alwis (Army) vs M. Rimzan (Army). Anil Rohana (AAC) vs M. Nasoordeen (MICH), Faizal Haniffa (MSC) vs P.A.M. Badurdeen (MSC).
4.00pm: Tishan Samarasinghe (OAC) vs I. Peramunage (Galle CC), A.A. Kareem (MSC) vs M.J.A. Thasleem (AAC). M.M. Jiffrey (Galle CC) vs K.A.R. Samandisi (Army), S.M. Shaharwadie (MSC) vs Susantha Wickrama (Army).