Top cueists’ loss of form worries Valika

KARACHI: The Chairman of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) Ali Asghar Valika has regretted the loss of form of some of the top cueists of the country and hoped that efforts would be made to keep them motivated and inspired.

“In the next Board meeting I will propose to the PBSA Executive to take measures to ensure that the leading cueists of the country perform more consistently,” he said while talking to ‘The News’ here at the Karachi Club on Thursday.

“It really concerned me that the cueists of the caliber of Muhammad Sajjad and Shahid Aftab, both former champions, were just a shadow of their former selves during the National Championship,” the PBSA chairman remarked.

“I was not impressed with the performance of the eventual champion (Muhammad Asif) either. He couldn’t reproduce the form which made him the world champion in 2012,” said Valika, who served as the PBSA president from 1988 to 2008.

“Cueists like Asif, Sajjad and Shahid had come into prominence when I was heading the association. They had shown flashes of brilliance in early career and we took care of them to boost their confidence and skills. They repaid by performing well internationally, but now some chinks in their armoury are becoming visible,” he added.

“Now the time has come for the management to talk to them and take care of their needs. Personally I feel that they would become much more productive if they were mentored by prolific coaches. They are blessed with talent and experience but they do need guidance and direction,” the PBSA chairman explained.

“While it’s very heartening that the youngsters are emerging from every nook and corner of the country to challenge the top cueists of the country, we must not lose sight of the fact that the current lot of experienced cueists has brought us laurels in the recent past. They deserve to be looked after properly,” Valika said.