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Valika wants cueists rewarded with higher prizes

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
September 25, 2018

KARACHI: Ali Asghar Valika, the man chiefly responsible for taking snooker to its present day status in Pakistan, has advocated for raise in the rewards for the high achievers of cue sports.

Valika, the chairman of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), has said that Rs5000 was too meager for the highest break of a national ranking event, involving the top cueists of the country.

He was referring to the recently concluded Jubilee Insurance Ranking Snooker Championship in which Majid Ali received a paltry amount of Rs5000 for registering the highest break of the one-week event.

“In my opinion the highest break award of a national ranking tournament should not be less than Rs20,000 in the current scenario,” he said while talking to ‘The News’ here at the Karachi Club Annexe on Monday.

Valika advised the Executive Committee of the PBSA to consider raising the prize money and other incentives for the cueists in 2019.

“I will propose the PBSA to submit new proposals to the sponsors whereby the amount of prize money may be segregated. We must realise that with the rising inflation we need to keep increasing the rewards for our cueists in order to boost their spirits,” he added.

Valika, who headed the PBSA with distinction for a couple of decades, said he expected the present government to be more sports friendly as it was being headed by Imran Khan, a former Pakistan cricket captain.

“The government support is essential for such sports as snooker which has been bringing laurels for the country from time to time. Furthermore, there should be a consistency in the policy about the reimbursement of award money. The cueists should not be made to run from pillar to post to receive their prizes,” he said.

“The Prime Minister, being a sportsman himself, should announce a clear-cut policy for the rewards,” the PBSA chairman said.