Asif confident of positive results in Doha

Cueist says team has worked hard in training camp

KARACHI: Former IBSF champion Muhammad Asif is confident that Pakistan can win another title at the upcoming World Championships, set to begin in Doha from November 17.

Asif, who became the second Pakistani to win the IBSF world title at the 2012 edition of the tournament, revealed that the entire team—which also includes Asjad Iqbal, Mubashir Raza, Naseem Akhtar, Imran Shahzad, Muhammad Yousuf and Khurram Agha — have trained hard as part of a five-day camp in Karachi.

"We are hoping for positive results as we have two former champions in the team too," Asif told The Express Tribune. "We are training for six to seven hours each day but even before the camp we were training on our own because it is a major event for us."

Regarding the task that awaits them in Doha, he said: "We will be getting very tough competition as I think Asian countries like Thailand, Iran, India and China have very strong players and we've always had close battles with them."

However, the team is currently without a coach, whose presence, Asif says, is crucial at events of this magnitude.

"Every player in the world needs a coach no matter how good he is, so yes we feel that absence too," said Asif.

Naseem and Raza will be making their debuts at the championship and Asif feels that all the seasoned players in the team will need to guide the younger lot.

"Naseem has already competed internationally, but Mubashir could feel the pressure so we'll be helping them," said Asif.