The UAE snooker scene received a much-needed shot in the arm as Rosy Blue Trading LLC extended a generous financial grant to the UAE Billiards and Snooker Association (UAEBSA) to help further elevate the standards of the national team players. A one-year sponsorship deal between diamond company Rosy Blue and the UAEBSA was signed in Dubai on Sunday by UAEBSA General Secretary Sultan Al Joker in the presence of Rosy Blue representatives Roopesh George and M. K. Moorthi. The contract has been the result of successful negotiations between Al Joker and Rosy Blue supremo Harshad Mehta. Al Joker said: \"I am grateful to both Mehta and Rosy Blue for their continued support to UAEBSA . The past sponsorship deals with Rosy Blue had enabled UAEBSA to implement a number of projects that helped our players improve a great deal. \"I am satisfied that our players have done exceptionally well on the international stage over the years and this was all made possible by the generous backing that we have been receiving from sponsors like Rosy Blue.\" Al Joker added: \"It is now the objective of the UAEBSA to help our players even further by allowing them more opportunities to develop their skills as competitors of international calibre. This is also being necessitated by the growth in standards that other Asian countries have recorded in billiard sports. \"We are aiming to achieve our goal by providing more competitive experience to our players through a higher number of national and international events in the country, enabling them to meet fresh challenges on the international stage. \"I am confident that such projects can be realised in the UAE through the continued backing of Rosy Blue.\" The UAE\'s Mohammad Al Joker got off to an ideal start in the Seven-Nation Snooker Championship, which got under way in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday with an impressive 4-0 victory over Sohail Shahzad of the host country. The seventh-seeded Al Joker was in total command and won with scores of 75-68, 97-36, 74-53, 65-24. The UAE cueist compiled a break of 94 in the second frame. The other UAE player participating in the tournament is Mohammad Shehab, the fourth seed who was due to start his campaign last night. The distinction of registering the first century break of the competition went to Mohammad Sajjad of Pakistan during his 4-2 win over Mohammad Faisal Khan of India. Sajjad chalked up a 103 in the fifth frame. Besides Pakistan, teams from India, Iran, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and Thailand are taking part in the tournament. From gulfnews