Ameer Mukthar officiates at Asian Snooker Championships in Qatar

By Ranjan ANANDAPPA

SNOOKER: Versatile sportsman of yesteryear M.N. Ameer Mukthar left for Doha - Qatar to officiate as a referee at the 28th Asian Snooker Championships which is now in progress. (April 20 to 29)

Twenty three countries are scheduled to take part in this tournament where national champion Susantha Boteju and number two Mohammed Munzeer from Kandy will represent Sri Lanka.

Mukthar an old boy of St. Benedict's College (1954/60') and there after at Zahira College, Colombo has left several indelible marks at both schools as a top sportsman. At St. Benedict's, he excelled in the 100 m and 200m races and the long jump. While at Zahira College, Maradana he wrestled and took part in the Stubbs Shield Boxing Championships and won. He has represented the country at soccer and snooker at the Asian Championship held in Bangkok in 1969 and is the only IBSF qualified referee in the country today.

Mukthar is willing to impart his knowledge on Snooker and refereeing. He represented the country in 1991 at the 7th Bell Officers Masters Tournament as a player and also in the capacities of Official Referee and Manager. Ameer Mukthar said that one reason as to why Snooker cannot reach higher standard is owing to the lack of good coaches. "We have plenty of talented youngsters, but due to the non-availability of coaches to guide them, the game is not progressing. I have spoken to the Minister of Sports with regard to the matter and hope to finalise things in the near future", he said.

The 63-year-old veteran Mukthar is a member of the Billiard's and Snooker Referees Control Council in Leeds, London. He got his first major break as a referee in 1988 officiating in the 5th Asian Snooker Championship held at the Ramada Renaissance Hotel in Colombo. He also refereed in the Sri Lanka- Pakistan three Test Snooker Dual held at the Grand Hotel Nuwara- Eliya and Colombo respectively.

In 1990, he went on to add another feather in his cap when he was graded as a class 'B' at the Asian Confederation, Billiards and Snooker Referees Control Council, and in the same year he had the privilege in refereeing at the 17th World Snooker Championship held in Colombo and Bangalore.

The significant year in Mukthar's career was in 2006 when he got the opportunity to officiate as a referee at the 5th Asian Billiards and the 7th Asian Under 21 Snooker Championship at the Pegasus Reef Hotel, Hendala, Sri Lanka. Ameer did not stop there, he refereed The English Billiards and Junior Snooker Championship in Doha, Qatar and was awarded the 'Silver Class' (ACBC) for Snooker, Billiards and Pool by the Asian Confederation of Billiards And Snooker Referees Control Panel.

He was awarded the 'gold class' certificate the highest grade for a referee and was subsequently appointed as a Referees Examiner by the ACBS. He was given opportunity to officiate at the Snooker World Cup in Bangalore where 42 countries were in the fray. From 1969, Mukthar is confined only to indoor games due to a knee injury, which he sustained during his playing days.