India claims silver in Asian Team Snooker Championship

India managed to win a silver medal in the Asian Snooker team championship in Abu Dhabi after they lost to Iran 2-3 yesterday.
•    Mehta, India’s lone professional snooker player gave the country a good start after he beat Iran’s Amir Sarkosh 65-53 in the opening game, according to information provided by the team coach Derek Sippy.
•    Thereafter, Advani, recently crowned the continent’s 6-Red champion, lost to Soheil Vahedi 7-54. Amir and Soheil then joined hands to trounce the Indian pair of Advani and Mehta 1-77.
•    Pankaj then came back to win against Amir 69-64 to make it 2-2.  In the do-or-die clash, Aditya lost to Soheil 40-74.  In the semi-finals, India thrashed Pakistan 3-0.
•    The World Snooker Championship is the leading snooker tournament both in terms of prestige and prize money. 
•    The first championship was held in 1927 and was won by Joe Davis. Davis won the first 15 championships before retiring from the event, undefeated, after his 1946 success. 
•    In the 1950s snooker went into a period of decline and the championship was not held after 1952, although an unofficial championship was held until 1957. 
•    In 1964 the championship was revived on a challenge basis and in 1969 the championship became a knock-out event again.