There are snooker clubs and parlors in every city of Pakistan where many young snookers are seen playing, but even then the Pakistani players are far from professional snooker.
Snooker management in Pakistan is with the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association which organizes competitions nationally every year.
The Association has not only made it possible for players to participate in international competitions overseas despite limited resources, but has also hosted the World and Asian Championships in Pakistan.
The difference between the amateur and the professional snooker
An international snooker world is one that is played professionally.
These competitions are played under the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, and based on them the world ranking of the players is also determined.
The oldest and most prestigious event of Professional Snooker is the World Professional Championships held at the Crosier Theater in Sheffield, England.
It is to be noted that the player who became the World Snooker Champion has been given a million pounds of British pounds this year.
The second world snooker is the Amateur Snooker, competing under the International Billiards and Snooker Federation. Amateur Snooker also holds a World Championship every year.
Amateur snooker is not worth the money compared to professional snooker. It can be estimated that Mohammad Asif, a Pakistani athlete who has become world champion these days, has received only $ 5,000 for the first prize.
The best players in the world participate in professional snooker, but even amateur players can become professionals for which they have to compete in qualifying tournaments.
Why are Pakistani players away from professional snooker?
It is common in international snooker that players adopt professional snooker after playing amateur snooker and have been very successful.
Among them are Ken Dorthy and Stuart Bingham, two world champions, both amateur and professional.
Playing professional snooker is not easy. It requires the player to be financially sound himself or he has a solid sponsor.
Pakistani players are keen to play professional snooker after successes at the rich level, but financial difficulties become a hindrance for them, an example of which is Hamza Akbar.
Hamza Akbar is the only Pakistani player to reach professional snooker.
He won the Asian Snooker Championship in 2015 and decided to try his luck in professional snooker, but due to financial difficulties, it has become almost impossible to pay for his stay in England and the tournament entry fees.
World champion Mohammad Asif won the World Amateur title for the first time in 2012 when he too wished to play professional snooker but financial resources were lacking.
Government non-interest despite global accolades
Snooker is one of the four sports in which Pakistan has become world champion, but still it has not been the sport and its players at the government level that they deserve.
It can be gauged from the fact that the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association had to help the gentlemen to ensure the participation of two players at the 2012 World Championships because the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Communications Had refused to pay only eight lakh rupees.
When Mohammad Asif won the world championship, he did not get a million rupees fixed for the world champion under national sports policy.
Chairman of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association Alamgir Sheikh says that it is a tragic situation that despite so many honors, snooker has been ignored and if this series continues, one day the wheel will stop and Medals will stop coming.
It is important to note that the majority of players who play snooker in Pakistan are from middle-class families. World Champion Mohammad Asif and a few players have been offered jobs by the National Bank and State Bank, which has reduced their financial difficulties.
The National Bank has also announced a $ 5,000 prize for Muhammad Asif to win the world prize, but he says it is important to have the players who win the game and the awards at the government level.