‘Give us our remaining prize-money’

Pakistan cueists at loggerheads with federation over unpaid dues.

KARACHI: Pakistan cueists Mohammad Sajjad and Shahid Aftab are at loggerheads with the country’s snooker federation over their share of the prize money at the Snooker Team World Cup that was played in Bangkok in July.

Sajjad and Aftab, the two players who represented the country in the tournament, said they were awarded $14,500 by the organisers but the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) announced that it will award only Rs300,000 to them. Even five months after the event, the two players have only been given Rs100,000.

Disgruntled at the PBSA’s behaviour, the two players lashed out at what they called an ‘unfair’ decision.

“The PBSA has given us Rs 100,000 each and told us that they will pay us the remaining sum whenever they have funds,” Sajjad told The Express Tribune. “This has never happened before. They also deducted some amounts for different fines but I don’t think it’s fair. We played in the World Cup and and are still awaiting our share.”

Sajjad and Aftab crashed out of the event in the pre-quarterfinals and said that since the Thailand Snooker Federation adopted a point system, prize money was awarded to the pair.

On the other hand, according to PBSA President Alamgir Shiekh, the association does not owe any amount to the cueists. He said the event was an invitational one and the association nominated Sajjad and Aftab.

“The prize-money is the association’s property but we’re still giving them money so they should be grateful,” said Shiekh.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2011.