KARACHI: At a time when the government support is lacking unlike the past, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has come forward to help the game of snooker by giving jobs to three junior cueists and a coach, Dawn learnt on Wednesday. The players and official have been appointed at the behest of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF).

The players who have got employment are Ahsan Ramzan, Shaikh Mohammad Mudassir and Ali Haider.

Mudassir is the reigning national U-18 champion while Haider won the national U-21 title earlier this year. Ahsan Ramzan is losing semi-finalist of this year’s national U-18 and U-21 championships.

Senior player and reigning national champion Mohammad Bilal, who recently won the World Snooker Team Cup together with Asjad Iqbal, has been appointed coach.

The SBP has become the second financial institution after the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to support the game. Half-a-dozen players are already employed in the NBP. They include Mohammad Asif, Asjad Iqbal, Mohammad Sajjad, Mohammad Majid Ali, Mohammad Naseem Akhtar and Haris Tahir.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2019