BY ARMSTRONG VAs
Doha: Recently crowned Asian snooker champion Mohammad Saleh from war ravaged Afghanistan is on a ‘peace mission’.
The 40-year-old, who was a war refugee, wants to deliver a ‘message of peace’ to the rest of the world that the Asian country, hit by years of foreign invasion and domestic conflicts, wants an immediate end to troubled times.
“Afghanistan is experiencing some tense times. My country is in the news all the time and all you get to hear is about war and fighting. But let me tell you something - we have talented athletes in Afghanistan. These athletes can deliver a message of peace to the world and that we do not want war anymore,” Saleh told The Peninsula in a candid chat.
“Due to the invasion by Soviet Union (more than three decades ago), my family moved to Pakistan in 1990 so as a refugee I know the hardships and sufferings of people displaced on account of war,” said an emotional Saleh.
The Soviet war in Afghanistan lasted nine years from December 1979 to February 1989. Part of the Cold War, it was fought between Soviet-led Afghan forces against multi-national insurgent groups called the Mujahideen.
The soft spoken player is in Qatar for the 6-Red Asian Snooker individual and team championship which began here yesterday.
On May 3 this year, Saleh, who also represented Pakistan at regional and world level competitions from 1995 to 2008, beat Syria’s Omar Al Kojah 7-2 in a one-sided final to become the first Afghan to win the amateur Asian snooker title.
Saleh, who lived in Pakistan for many years after becoming a refugee (in 2008 he switched to representing Afghanistan), won the 29th edition of the Asian championship held in Pakistan.
He started as an amateur snooker player in Pakistan in 1992 inspired by his elder brother, who was into billiards. He turned professional in 1995, representing Pakistan at various world events and competitions. Having pocketed the Asian title, Saleh has now set his sights on the world title.
“Now that I have won the Asian Championship, my next dream is to win the World Championship and I will work hard for it and InshAllah I will be able to achieve it,” said Saleh, who also won two bronze medals at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan while turning out for Pakistan.
His other immediate goal is to turn professional.
“InshAllah, we will discuss with the Snooker Association and with Olympic Committee, and government for the funding, to send me to London (for the Q sports qualification tournament). InshAllah, we will give it a try. If I qualify and compete on the professional circuit I will get more experience and I will be able to pass on the experience to young people from my country who like to follow me, that is why I want to become a professional player. I will work hard for it,” he said.
The Afghan is eager to develop the sport in the country of his origin.
“I want to give back something to my country and the only way I can do this is to assist in the development of sports in Afghanistan,” Saleh said.
“I can make things happen in snooker as that is what I am good at. I plan to start a snooker academy soon. Afghanistan has a lot of talented snooker players,” said Saleh as President of the Afghanistan Snooker and Billiards Federation Mohamed Aziz Azami him nodded in approval.
Despite the war, Afghanistan had done well to re-build itself and important cities like Kabul had several top-class snooker facilities to offer, Saleh said.
“We have some 120 snooker clubs in Kabul, which was a surprise to me when I returned back to Afghanistan in 2008,” said Saleh,” who runs one such club in Kabul.
Saleh, who picked up $7,000 for his Asian championship win, said lack of sponsorship was a stumbling block for the growth of the sport in Afghanistan.
“I am on my own and I need sponsorship,” Saleh said.
“Hopefully, after my success some sponsors will come my way and also for some of our other players too,” said an optimistic Saleh, who won both his Group A league matches in Doha yesterday.
For the Afghan, his most unforgettable moment has been playing against Ronnie O’Sullivan, who recently cued his way to a fifth World Championship title.
“Of course I was disappointed to lose to Ronnie Sullivan, but it was an honour to play such a great champion,” Saleh said.
“I shall never forget the moment,” said Saleh, recalling the clash between the two in 1996, which the Englishman won after Saleh missed one shot and Sullivan cleared the table.
The Peninsula
