The UAE's Ali Saeed won the gold medal in the second Arab Billiards Championship, which was held from 9th-16th December in Beirut. In the semi-final he defeated Khalid Al Muttairi (Kuwait), who had taken a bronze medal in the recent Asian Games in Butan, before overcoming Jordan's top player Mohammed Al Shafiee 9-7 in the final.
More than 120 players from 10 Arab countries took part in the championship and the new champion admitted that he was not even the top billiards player in his own country. Last year he was No. 4 in the UAE billiards ranking, but had only managed 11th place in the current season.
Arriving at the Dubai Airport the evening following the conclusion of the Championship, he was critical of the UAE Billiards and Snooker Association (BSA) for ignoring the five-man billiards squad. "The BSA are not taking care of the billiards as they are taking care of snooker. We took part in the Arab championship in Beirut on our own account without any support from the BSA or the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare. Each of us even paid the $30 participating fee from our own pocket." he said. Saeed is hoping that his victory will encourage the BSA to give more attention to billiards.