For the third time in his career, Pakistan’s top snooker player, Muhammad Asif, has won the IBSF World Snooker Championship title in Doha. Entering the tournament as a wild card qualifier, the 42-year-old showed incredible skill and determination, advancing through the qualifying, main, and knockout rounds to secure this prestigious title.
In the final match, Asif went up against Iran’s Ali Gharagozlo. Asif started strong, winning the first frame 70-25. Gharagozlo managed to even the score by winning the second frame, but Asif quickly regained control. He won the third frame decisively with a score of 62-8 and continued to build his lead in the fourth frame with an impressive century break of 106 points—his sixth of the tournament. Asif’s dominance continued in the fifth frame, which he took with a score of 82-12. Although Gharagozlo fought back by winning the sixth and seventh frames, Asif held his nerve and secured his victory in the eighth frame with a break of 93 points.
This remarkable win marks Asif’s third individual world title, placing him on par with India’s Pankaj Advani, another highly celebrated player in the snooker world. Along with his two team titles, Asif has now become Pakistan’s most accomplished cueist in history. Following this historic achievement, Javed Karim, the President of the Pakistan Billiard and Snooker Association, and Chairman Alamgir Sheikh extended their heartfelt congratulations to Asif, recognizing his extraordinary contribution to Pakistani snooker.
