Ali Saeed makes triumphant return

The UAE's Ali Saeed won the gold medal and first place in the second Arab billiards championship, which concluded on Monday in Beirut. In the final he beat Mohammed Al Shafiee of Jordan 9-7.

The champion was given a warm reception on his arrival at the Dubai Airport last evening.

Ali Saeed dedicated the victory to President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and to His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and to Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of Emirates and to his family and the people of UAE.

The Arab champion was critical of the UAE Billiards and Snooker Association (BSA) for ignoring the billiards.

"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."

Ali Saeed cited Kuwait billiards team as an example saying that they held a one-month training camp in Philippines and gained experience by playing against the World champions and the best players in the Philippines.

Ali Saeed is hoping that the Arab championship, which he won, would encourage the BSA to give more care for billiards. "I hope the BSA after this great achievement will support billiards and take care of it like the support the snooker players are getting."

He thanked his teammates, who took part in the Arab championship in Lebanon. "My colleagues who also took part in the Arab championship, Ali Abdul Karim, Ismail Yaqoub, Hani Al Houry and Yahya Al Suwaidi were behind the success I achieved. They supported me in all the matches I played until I was crowned champion. Without their support I couldn't have won the title."

Ali Saeed said the tournament, which was held in Beirut from December 9-16, was very tough in all rounds.

"More than 120 players from 10 Arab countries took part in the championship. I defeated players from Lebanon, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and two Kuwaiti players, one of them was Khalid Al Muttairi, who won a bronze medal in the Asian Games held last October in Busan.

"I defeated him in the semifinals before I beat the Jordan top player Mohammed Al Shafiee in the final and clinch the gold medal and the trophy."

The Arab champion said that he was not the UAE top player in billiards despite his triumph by clinching the Arab title.

"Last year I was No. 4 in the UAE billiards ranking, this year I was 11th, despite that I spared no effort in showing a marvellous performance in Beirut, which helped me to win the second Arab championship." concluded Ali Saeed.