Mohammad Sajjad, no more the wildcard

Mohammad Sajjad was not only the Asian Championship runner-up but also claimed the Korat Cup in Thailand.

KARACHI: For a simple man from Sargodha, landing an international snooker title seemed a dream. Being the Asian number two seemed a more distant one.

Mohammad Sajjad, the Pakistan number two, was not only the Asian Championship runner-up but also claimed the Korat Cup in Thailand - a feat never achieved by a Pakistan snooker player and a tournament that featured international snooker professionals.

Going in as a wildcard entry and coming out with the winner’s trophy is like a fantasy, according to Sajjad, whose career hit off this year with the national championship crown.

“The players there knew a Pakistani would cause them problems,” Sajjad told The Express Tribune. “I played well, practiced hard and deservingly won.”

He may not have started as a world-beater but his performance has improved. In between the Asian Championship and the Korat Cup, he lost in the second round of a 6-Red tournament in Thailand. But practicing and playing alongside world number nine and England’s Mark Selby gave him much-needed confidence.

“Before any match, all players practice at the other tables. We see our opponents and gauge their game. It is then we try and apply pressure, pot as many balls as we can to send out a clear message that we are here to win.”

And he did win by beating home cueist Passakorn Suwannawat 5-4 in a tense finish to claim the Baht100,000 prize. For him, the win marks a breakthrough in the career.

“I’ve participated in the tournament thrice. The more exposure you get the better you become. And the third time was a charm,” added the confident Sajjad, who feels that Pakistan is full of talent and it was only a matter of participating in international tournaments.

“There are some very good players in the country. Islamabad’s Shehram Changezi, Faisalabad’s Mohammad Asif and Sohail Shahzad from Karachi are the players to look out for.”

His rivalry with these players and his student Asjad Iqbal is well-known. Asjad, the Pakistan number one, defeated Sajjad in the final of the national ranking tournament to topple him from the top spot.

“I teach him and he defeats me. That’s the way it is. He is only 20 but a fast learner and there are high hopes from him.”

Meanwhile upcoming tournaments in Pakistan where seven to eight countries will be invited to play a 6-Red tournament, a full-frame championship in Dhaka and the indoor games in China are Sajjad’s next aims.

“These tournaments are important. And they will prepare me for the Amateur World Cup in December which is my dream to win.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2010.