Pakistan’s seasoned cueist Muhammad Asif added another illustrious chapter to his career o as he defeated India’s Brijesh Damani in a thrilling 4-3 contest to win the IBSF World Masters Snooker Championship at the Crowne Plaza, Bahrain.
The 36-year-old, who had suffered a group-stage defeat at the hands of Damani earlier in the tournament, displayed remarkable grit and composure to overturn the odds in the final. The win marked Asif’s sixth world title — his fourth in the individual category — solidifying his stature as one of Pakistan’s most accomplished cueists.
Asif began the high-stakes final in dominant fashion, clinching the opening two frames with precision. However, Damani bounced back strongly, winning the next three frames to take a 3-2 lead and put the Pakistani under significant pressure.
Showing his trademark resilience, Asif stormed back into the match by claiming the sixth frame comprehensively to level the scores. In the decider, he left no room for doubt, outclassing his Indian opponent to secure the championship with frame scores of 98-37, 75-55, 0-80, 49-52, 41-64, 91-29, and 78-9.
Earlier in the semi-final, Asif had brushed aside another Indian opponent, Manan Chandra, 4-2. After a dominant start with a 118-6 win in the first frame, Asif briefly lost momentum as Chandra took the next two frames. The Pakistani star, however, regained control and sealed the match with three straight frames, ending with scores of 118-6, 0-84, 25-76, 92-11, 87-62, and 72-41.
In a video message following his latest triumph, Asif acknowledged the psychological weight of competing in a Pakistan-India final, stating that such matches are played under immense public and emotional pressure.
“Whenever there’s a Pakistan-India match, public expectations rise significantly. Winning and losing is part of the game, but nobody wants to lose this kind of match,” Asif remarked.
He admitted the final against Damani was mentally taxing. “There was pressure to win this match no matter what. Viewers may not have realised it, but the match was extremely tough,” he said.
The former world amateur champion also expressed hope to extend his winning form to upcoming international events, including the Six-Red Masters Tournament. “Alhamdulillah, I’ve won my sixth world title. I’m happy to dedicate another title to Pakistan,” he added.
Meanwhile, it was a day of double delight for Pakistan on the snooker front as emerging cueist Hasnain Akhtar clinched the IBSF World U-17 Championship, defeating Poland’s Riley Powell 4-0 in a one-sided final.
The young talent, who dropped only one frame throughout the tournament, was in sublime form as he secured the title with frame scores of 86-7, 73-35, 50-32, and 98-4. Hasnain’s victory makes him the first Pakistani to win the U-17 world title, signalling a promising future for snooker in the country.
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