Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has praised cueist Muhammad Asif for winning the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Qatar for the third time. Asif secured a 5-3 victory over Iran’s Ali Ghareghozlou in an intense final on November 6, with scores of 70-25, 7-87(84), 82(56)-8, 106(106)-08, 82-12, 43-91(58), 0-118, and 93(80)-4.
“By winning this international championship, Asif has made the entire nation proud,” said PM Sharif, according to Radio Pakistan. He noted that Pakistan’s youth are bringing global recognition to the country in sports.
Established in 1971, the IBSF oversees billiards and snooker worldwide and represents 85 member nations, recognized by both the World Confederation of Billiard Sports and the International Olympic Committee.
At 42, Asif has previously won the world title in 2012 and 2019, matching India’s Pankaj Advani’s record of three wins. PM Sharif also acknowledged the contributions of Asif’s family and coach and highlighted that supporting players with high-quality facilities remains a government priority.
