PBSA urges govt to allow opening of snooker parlours

KARACHI: The Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) has approached the federal as well as the provincial governments to allow the opening of snooker parlours.

“On behalf of sports enthusiasts in general and snooker and billiards players we urge and request the Chief Ministers of all the four provinces of Pakistan to permit the opening of snooker parlours throughout their respective provinces,” Munawwar Hussain Shaikh, President, PBSA, appealed in a communication issued here on Wednesday.

“We have forwarded to the Chief Ministers of all the four provinces of Pakistan to allow the opening of snooker parlours throughout their respective provinces, to enable the national snooker players of Pakistan to practice and hone their skills for participation in future international snooker competition, while representing Pakistan,” the PBSA President remarked in a press statement.

“We assure the Chief Ministers that whatever SOP was needed to be followed will be implemented so that players, along with whoever may come to the parlours are duly protected as defined in the SOPs,” he added.

“The closure of snooker parlours is affecting the livelihood of thousands of players and support persons associated with the sport. Due to the lockdown during the past couple months the snooker parlours have suffered immensely and it is becoming impossible to survive. They might have to close their parlours as they were already facing bankruptcy and in debt,” he pointed out.

The cue sports activities all over the country have come to standstill since the government had imposed lockdown all over the country to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.