Cueists welcome PBSA’s move

Association wants players to be employed by sports departments.

KARACHI:

The country’s cueists have welcomed the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association’s (PBSA) decision to have the players employed by different sports departments. The PBSA is currently in discussion with Pakistan Army, Wapda and Railways in a bid to form departmental snooker teams that can compete in national championships.

According to the PBSA president Alamgir Shaikh, the association has already obtained affiliation with the provincial Olympic associations as the first step towards establishing itself as a national federation. He said that the PBSA will be granting central contracts to cueists once the association gets affiliation with the Pakistan Olympics Association.

The move, modelled on other sports, has been appreciated by the cueists who hope to find permanent employment by these sports departments.

“Getting jobs will benefit the game not just the players,” Pakistan number three Imran Shehzad told The Express Tribune. “We only earn money when we play a tournament. Many cueists have left the sport because of this, but if the top eight cueists get the jobs, it will motivate others to do better.

“This will attract talented players and will redefine the game in the county,” said Shehzad.

National champion Shahid Aftab echoed the same view and said that the move will attract sponsors.

Former Asian number two Mohammad Sajjad, who plays for NBP, said adding more units to the PBSA will unite cueists from all over the country. He said that the top eight cueists, who earn Rs4,000 to Rs8,000, earn a lot less than expected.

Sajjad, Shahid participating in team event

Meanwhile, Sajjad and Shahid will leave for Dubai on June 23 to participate in a 12-nation ENOC International Team Championship, the prize money of which is $5,000.

They finished an 18-day camp in Islamabad yesterday and according to Sajjad, the event will help them prepare for the 2011 amateur World Cup that will start on July 11 in Thailand.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2011.