Doha: Qatar’s national snooker team saw their impressive campaign at the 2025 World Cup of Snooker for Teams come to an end on Friday, bowing out in the quarterfinals after a 3-0 defeat to a dominant Pakistan side. The prestigious tournament, staged at the Active Oman Centre in the Sultanate of Oman from November 15–23, concludes today with the highly anticipated final.
This year’s edition brought together 23 nations and some of the sport’s leading cueists, who battled across team and individual categories for a total prize purse of US$60,000. The Qatari duo of Ali Al-Obaidli and Ahmed Saif delivered one of their finest collective performances on the international stage, showcasing consistency, composure, and competitive grit throughout their journey.
Drawn in Group 2 alongside Iraq 2, Poland, and Bangladesh, Al-Obaidli and Saif made a confident start with a 3-1 victory over Iraq 2. Although they suffered a narrow 3-2 loss to Bangladesh in their second outing, the pair responded with determination, sealing a decisive 3-1 win against Poland to top their group and advance to the knockout stage.
Their momentum continued in the round of 16, where they edged past Iraq 1 in a thrilling 3-2 duel — a milestone win that secured Qatar’s best-ever finish in the team event at this championship. That achievement, however, set up a challenging quarterfinal clash with Pakistan, one of the tournament’s strongest teams. Despite their resilience, Al-Obaidli and Saif were unable to turn the tide, falling in straight frames.
Mohsen Boukchiche, Board Member of the Qatar Billiards & Snooker Federation and Head of Delegation, praised the team’s effort and technical quality, noting the stiff level of competition and expressing pride in their historic quarterfinal run.
He added that the federation looks forward to building on this progress as Qatar prepares for upcoming international events.
