PBSA chairman hails emergence of new talent

KARACHI: The chairman of Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) Ali Asghar Valika has welcomed the emergence of new talent which would augur well for the future of cue sports in the country.

“To me, it’s heartening to witness the newcomers challenging those who have been around for some time. It reflects the depth of snooker talent in our country,” he said while talking to ‘The News’ here at the Karachi Club Annexe on Saturday.

“The recently held twin events in the federal capital, the National Junior Under-18 and Under-21 Championships 2018, have brought to light quite a few emerging youngsters who can be groomed for future,” Asghar, who revived the sport during his two-decade-long stint as the PBSA president, reckoned.

“Muhammad Naseem Akhtar can very rightly be considered as the wonder kid of Pakistan snooker. He has already won the IBSF World Junior Under-18 Championship last year. With more experience and coaching, he can turn out to be an asset for the country in future,” he felt.

Asghar also expressed delight at the continuation of his policy to spread the sport by holding the national events in different parts of the country.

“In my time as the president, it had been decided to hold the National Snooker Championships in the federal as well as the provincial capitals. The present leadership of the PBSA has done a good job by sticking to the same policy,” he complimented.

“As a result of our initiatives and policies over the years, snooker has spread to every nook and corner of the country and today youngsters from smaller towns and cities are also making their presence felt. Snooker has certainly come of age,” he added.