Thursday 20 / November / 2025
MUSCAT- England’s Harvey Chandler was crowned champion of the IBSF World Cup of Snooker Oman 2025 after a well-deserved 5–2 victory over Pakistan’s Asjad Iqbal in a high-quality final held on Wednesday evening at the “Active Oman” Centre of the Oman Automobile Association.
The title ceremony was attended by Khalid bin Khalfan Al Subhi, Chairman of the Oman Billiards & Snooker Committee, who awarded the trophies to the finalists at the conclusion of the singles competition.
Chandler delivered a consistent and highly accurate performance throughout the tournament, which included a dominant 5–0 win in the semi-finals
Though Iqbal secured second place, he won tlthe trophy for the highest break of the tournament, after recording an outstanding 142-point century, the highest break achieved in this edition.
France’s Nicolas Mortreux and Hong Kong China’s Chang Yu Kiu both claimed bronze medals after reaching the semifinal stage, each delivering excellent campaigns across the tournament.
In the final match, Chandler set the tone early with an impressive 52-point break, placing Iqbal under immediate pressure and signalling his readiness to take control. He followed this with a superb 67-point break in the third frame, showcasing the fluency and precision that defined his journey.
Chandler dominated the fourth frame as well, and although Asjad Iqbal managed to narrow the gap with a strong 54-point break in the fifth frame, the Englishman maintained his lead thanks to superior scoring, disciplined safety play, and complete command of the table, steering the match confidently toward victory in a tournament that featured 68 players from around the world.
Chandler expressed his great happiness following his world title win, praising the overall atmosphere of the tournament and the warm reception in Oman. He said: "It was a fantastic championship in every way, and the Omani people were wonderful from day one."
On the final, he added: “I played really well in the semifinal, but in the final I was very nervous because I have lost many finals over the past two or three years. Winning this one means a lot to me.
“Honestly, it’s a huge relief finally, I managed to break the streak of losing finals. It’s an amazing feeling to be a champion again."
Iqbal expressed satisfaction with his overall performance, stating that "the tournament was excellent in every aspect".
He noted that the venue was exceptionally well-prepared, leaving a strong, positive impression among the players. Iqbal said he was proud to have reached the final after a strong campaign, describing his loss as “unlucky” despite being fully prepared and eager to win the title.
With the curtains falling on the singles event, the team competition officially kicked off on Thursday amid growing fan attendance and strong anticipation.
The draw placed the participating nations into six main groups:
Group A: Hong Kong 1, France, India 2, Oman 3 (Hussain Al Lawati, Haitham Al Mahri).
Group B: Poland, Qatar, Iraq 2, Bangladesh.
Group C: Pakistan, Malaysia, Ukraine, Oman 2 (Abdullah Al Raisi, Taha Bashir).
Group D: Iran, Egypt, Iraq 1, Australia.
Group E: China, Bahrain, Hong Kong 2, Indonesia.
Group F: India 1, UAE, Afghanistan, Oman 1 (Ahmed Al Khusaibi, Omar Sultan).
