Rising sports stars regularly spout the cliche about not letting success change them, but in the case of Mohammad Asif, Pakistan’s sole current world champion, it seems to be true.
The 31-year-old was given a hero’s welcome when he returned to Pakistan after winning the amateur world snooker championship a year ago, feted by politicians and media alike. He still lives in the same modest house in a nondescript corner of Faisalabad, an industrial city in Punjab province, and still practises at the same grubby basement club.
He says he has seen nothing of the $100,000 reward promised him by the government for his win, but his success has made him a superstar in the city once known as the “Manchester of Pakistan” for its countless cotton mills.
“Wherever I go, thanks be to God, I get special love from the people, everybody is caring and praying for me,” he told AFP.
“Now everyone in the city recognizes me, which gives me pleasure.” The biggest change for Asif has been his wheels. Gone is his rickety old motorbike, replaced by a gleaming black Toyota Corolla emblazoned with “M. Asif — World Champion” — a gift from Pakistan’s richest man, property tycoon Malik Riaz.
Asif is only the second Pakistani to win the world title, after Mohammed Yousuf, nearly 20 years ago, but his campaign nearly ended before it began. A shortage of funds meant the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) had practically given up hope of sending players to last year’s championship in Bulgaria until a slew of personal donations allowed Asif to board the plane. The shy, softly spoken Asif repaid their generosity with a fairytale win, beating England’s Gary Wilson 10-8 in the final.
Now he has his sights set on matching the achievement of his professional counterpart Ronnie O’Sullivan, who in May successfully defended the world crown he won in 2012. “I am ready to defend my title and a.m. confident I will win it again,” Asif said ahead of the tournament in Latvia starting on Nov. 27.
Asif helped Pakistan to victory in last month’s world team championship in Ireland and he said the experience has brought him added mental steel.
“The recent wins have boosted my morale and have matured my game. I have learnt how to handle the pressure, which is key in snooker,” he said.
All being well, Asif plans to turn professional next year thanks to a $20,000 sponsorship deal from entrepreneur Nadeem Omar.
Illustrious names like Jimmy White, James Wattana and Ken Doherty are all former amateur champions, with the Irishman being the only player so far to have held both the amateur and professional crowns.
Mohammad Asif, Pakistan’s modest snooker world champ
Mohammad Asif, Pakistan’s modest snooker world champ
Small dog sole survivor of Peru helicopter crash that killed 15
- Rescue workers found the caramel-colored dog among the twisted wreckage of the Mi-17 helicopter
- Local media reported that the dog appeared OK, but as a precaution was taken to a veterinary clinic
LIMA: The only survivor of a military helicopter crash in southern Peru that killed 15 people was a small dog belonging to a colonel who was among the passengers, an air force source told AFP Tuesday.
Rescue workers found the caramel-colored dog among the twisted wreckage of the Mi-17 helicopter that crashed Sunday. It was lying next to the body of its owner, Col. Javier Nole, 50, who was on board with his wife and two daughters.
“It’s Col. Nole’s pet; it’s the only survivor,” the source, who requested anonymity, told AFP.
Local media reported that the dog appeared OK, but as a precaution was taken to a veterinary clinic.
Seven children were among the 15 fatalities when the Russian-made aircraft crashed in the Arequipa region. The helicopter had been recently deployed in rescue operations for victims of floods there.
It had taken off from the city of Pisco, in the Ica region. Rescuers located the wreckage on Monday just over 300 kilometers (186 miles) away near Chala Viejo, a town close to the Pacific coast in Arequipa.
The air force has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
