Snooker world championship glory

Pakistan cueists have the proverbial mountain to climb as the International Billiards and Snooker Federation World Championship commences in Doha today especially as the two leading players former World Champion Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sajjad are enduring a dip in form.

Asif the former amateur world champion has failed to replicate his 2012 title winning success and has failed to perform consistently at the national level. Pakistan maintained a stranglehold at the Asian level through Asif, Sajjad and young cueist Hamza Akbar but of late the national players have struggled to maintain the momentum with a lack of interest from both the public and private sector.

Despite their success at the biggest stage, Pakistan cueists have meagre resources for sustaining their performance. The national snooker body Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) have tried to engage the private sector through sponsorships of regional ranking events, the top-ranked cueists also get monthly salaries yet the wage is too low for sustaining the demands of the game.The PBSF relies on government grants which are low and disbursed in small amounts. Unfortunately, the success of Asif failed to get the attention of the private sector with the cueist himself made to wait for his promised win bonus, announced by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Pakistan sportsmen have often competed admirably at the international level even with scant support hence the national team can’t be ruled out of the world championship yet. The hope is that another bout of brilliance will bring glory for a local player or at least propel him past the knockout stage of the tournament, in Asif and his world champion predecessor Mohammad Yousuf; the six member team has plenty of inspiration.

The competition at the world level is always stiff but through an uncluttered mind, determination and practice, Pakistan players can make an impression in Doha.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2016.

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