Tuesday 18 / November / 2025
MUSCAT: Nothing fires up fans quite like an India-Pakistan clash, and the 2025 IBSF World Cup of Snooker in Muscat delivered just that on Tuesday.
India’s Pankaj Advani and Pakistan’s Asjad Iqbal both advanced through the last-16, setting up a tantalising quarter-final showdown at the Active Oman Centre that promises high drama and intense cue battles.
Advani, the former world champion, earned his spot with a commanding 4–1 victory over compatriot Brijesh Damani, while Iqbal outplayed Egypt’s Mina Awad 4–1, emerging as the only South Asian survivors in the singles knockout stage. Their match is already being billed as the tournament’s highlight, with semi-final qualification and pride on the line.
Earlier in the last-16, other players battled through tense encounters.
France’s Nicolas Mortreux defeated Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif 4–2, China’s Nansen Wan edged Hong Kong China’s Chau Hon Man 4–3, China’s Chang Yu Kiu overcame India’s Aditya Mehta 4–2, and Iran’s Amir Sarkhosh narrowly beat Ukraine’s Mykhailo Larkov 4–3. Ukraine’s Denys Khmelevskyi prevailed 4–2 against Poland’s Tomasz Skalski, while England’s Harvey Chandler continued his strong run with a 4–1 victory over UAE’s Mohamed Shehab.
The last-32 action had already provided plenty of drama on Monday night. Advani had advanced comfortably, while Damani produced a thrilling 3–2 win over Qatar’s Ahmed Saif to set up his clash with Advani. Mehta held his nerve with a 3–2 victory against China’s Dong Zihao, only to meet Chang Yu Kiu in the last-16. Iqbal swept compatriot Hussain Khan 3–0 before facing Mina Awad, and Muhammad Asif dug deep for a 3–2 victory over UAE’s Khalid Kamali, earning a meeting with Mortreux, who had pulled off one of the round’s biggest surprises by defeating Fung Kwok Wai 3–0.
Ukraine’s Khmelevskyi overcame Bahrain’s Khalil Busaif 3–2 to face Poland’s Skalski, while Larkov beat Iran’s Siyavosh Mozayani 3–1. Hong Kong China’s Chau Hon Man cruised past Qatar’s Ali Alobaidli 3–0 to meet China’s Nansen Wan, who defeated Afghanistan’s Mohammad Rais Senzahi 3–1. Meanwhile, Mohamed Shehab edged Iran’s Ali Gharahgozlou 3–2, and England’s Harvey Chandler defeated Malaysia’s Lim Kok Leong 3–1 to reach the Last-16.
‘High standards’
Belgian referee Peter Adrian, officiating in Muscat for the first time, praised the tournament’s organisation and high level of play.
“IBSF events are always well-run, but this edition stands out,” he said.
“Every match I’ve refereed has shown exceptional skill and precision—being at the table really is the best seat in the house.”
Adrian also commended the experienced refereeing panel for matching the calibre of the players, noting that the harmony between officials and cueists makes this edition of the World Cup “one of the standout events of my career.”
With the quarter-finals now set, the singles grand final scheduled for Wednesday promises intense, high-stakes drama, while the team event begins Thursday and continues until 23 November, keeping snooker fans on the edge of their seats in Muscat.
