My aim is to retain title, says Mohammad Asif
IBSF World Champion prepared for mega event as team leaves today.
Asif won his title last year in December after a close fight with England’s Gary Wilson, piping him with scores of 10-8. PHOTO: PPI/FILE
KARACHI:
Current World Champion Mohammad Asif is targeting to retain his crown – a feat not achieved by any champion in the last 27 years – in the IBSF World Championship as Pakistan’s five-member squad will leave Tuesday from Karachi via Istanbul to Riga, Latvia.
Pakistan’s squad consists of Asif, Imran Shehzad, Shahid Aftab and wild-card holder Mohammad Sajjad, who was given a lifeline after an impressive performance in the World Team Championship where he helped Pakistan win their maiden team title along with Asif.
Abdul Wahid Qadir will be the manager for the event which will be played from November 28–December 8.
There are only three cueists in the history of the IBSF World Championship who have won back-to-back titles, including Wales Gary Owen (1963, 1966), England’s Ray Edmonds (1972, 1974) and Malta’s Paul Mifsud (1985, 1986).
Asif won his title last year in December after a close fight with England’s Gary Wilson, piping him with scores of 10-8.
The champion feels that he is in the right frame of mind ahead of the event, which will help him settle down easily as his responsibility has increased with the crown.
“There is just one thing on my mind which is to retain my title for Pakistan,” Asif told The Express Tribune.
“I’ve something to lose, while every other cueist in the event has nothing to lose and they will come out all guns blazing for the coveted title. This increases both the responsibility and pressure on me.
“But I’m going out high on confidence for the mega event after winning a ranking title just a day before [Sunday].”
The cueist further added that Pakistan’s squad is probably the strongest to participate in the world championships so far.
“We’ve got four top quality players in our team which is a great boost for us. We’re four individuals who all aspire to be the best and this is probably the best squad Pakistan has got in the world championships.”
‘Our aim is to keep title with Pakistan’
Sajjad said that he was thrilled to receive a wild-card for the competition, and stressed that all players will try to make sure that whoever wins among the four of them, the title will remain with Pakistan.
“Our collective aim together is to keep title with Pakistan, and the four of us have discussed this as well,” said Sajjad.
“If Asif wins then its good, but if he fails then at least we’ll try to make sure that one of us goes on to become champion.
“We are all very cooperative and help each other to improve on our grey areas, because there isn’t any element of jealousy among our snooker fraternity.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2013.
Current World Champion Mohammad Asif is targeting to retain his crown – a feat not achieved by any champion in the last 27 years – in the IBSF World Championship as Pakistan’s five-member squad will leave Tuesday from Karachi via Istanbul to Riga, Latvia.
Pakistan’s squad consists of Asif, Imran Shehzad, Shahid Aftab and wild-card holder Mohammad Sajjad, who was given a lifeline after an impressive performance in the World Team Championship where he helped Pakistan win their maiden team title along with Asif.
Abdul Wahid Qadir will be the manager for the event which will be played from November 28–December 8.
There are only three cueists in the history of the IBSF World Championship who have won back-to-back titles, including Wales Gary Owen (1963, 1966), England’s Ray Edmonds (1972, 1974) and Malta’s Paul Mifsud (1985, 1986).
Asif won his title last year in December after a close fight with England’s Gary Wilson, piping him with scores of 10-8.
The champion feels that he is in the right frame of mind ahead of the event, which will help him settle down easily as his responsibility has increased with the crown.
“There is just one thing on my mind which is to retain my title for Pakistan,” Asif told The Express Tribune.
“I’ve something to lose, while every other cueist in the event has nothing to lose and they will come out all guns blazing for the coveted title. This increases both the responsibility and pressure on me.
“But I’m going out high on confidence for the mega event after winning a ranking title just a day before [Sunday].”
The cueist further added that Pakistan’s squad is probably the strongest to participate in the world championships so far.
“We’ve got four top quality players in our team which is a great boost for us. We’re four individuals who all aspire to be the best and this is probably the best squad Pakistan has got in the world championships.”
‘Our aim is to keep title with Pakistan’
Sajjad said that he was thrilled to receive a wild-card for the competition, and stressed that all players will try to make sure that whoever wins among the four of them, the title will remain with Pakistan.
“Our collective aim together is to keep title with Pakistan, and the four of us have discussed this as well,” said Sajjad.
“If Asif wins then its good, but if he fails then at least we’ll try to make sure that one of us goes on to become champion.
“We are all very cooperative and help each other to improve on our grey areas, because there isn’t any element of jealousy among our snooker fraternity.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2013.