Turning pro next stop for cueist Asif

Pakistan player aims for bigger achievements after Asian 6-Red win.

KARACHI:

IBSF world champion and recently-crowned Asian 6-Red champion Mohammad Asif is eyeing bigger achievements and feels turning towards the professional circuit is going to help him realise his dreams.

Asif, who won the world amateur championship in December last year, said the time for him to turn pro was five months ago but lack of sponsorships and funds has dashed his hopes.

However, despite the setback, Asif said he will continue working hard and bring laurels to the country — the latest of which was
the Asian 6-Red event in Doha.

“The ultimate goal for me is to play at the professional circuit which is yet to be fulfilled,” Asif told The Express Tribune upon the Pakistan team’s return from Qatar after participating in the Asian Team Championship and the 6-Red competition.

“A player’s real test comes after he turns pro because that’s when you get to play against the best in the business. But for me, it is still a dream. I hope the new government can do something good for sports and I am able to turn pro.”



PBSA doing well despite lack of funds: Asif

The 30-year-old cueist also praised the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) for sending players for international tournaments regularly despite having being scarcely funded by the government.

It should be mentioned that Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had not released special funds last year to finance the Pakistan snooker team for the IBSF world championship. The PBSA then had to arrange funds on its own with Asif justifying the faith and being crowned Pakistan’s second world champion.

“It’s incredible the way PBSA is helping players gain international exposure. The current sports body has sent players abroad for training as well, while it has also brought major tournaments to Pakistan which has helped the country’s image.

“After all these efforts, snooker deserves to be given importance by the government and corporate sector. A priority should be set for all sports on a yearly basis and whichever sport does well, the funds should be distributed on the basis of performance.”

‘It was an overall good tour’

Looking back at the tour where the Pakistan team lost in the quarter-final and Asif himself winning the Asian 6-Red competition, the cueist said that it was a good experience for him and youngsters Humza Akbar and Mohammad Majid.

“I won the 6-Red so personally it was a good experience. Being part of the team event was great since the youngsters got some valuable experience of playing in an international event.

“Both of them are talented and can go on to become assets for Pakistan. I’m sure they will achieve bigger things in their careers.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2013.