KARACHI: Shahid Aftab scripted a stunning comeback to clinch the National Snooker Championship title, ending his 14-year wait for glory here at the NBP Sports Complex on Saturday.

In a nail-biting finale, Shahid edged Mohammad Sajjad 7-5 [69-9, 92(82)-28, 48-70(53), 73-19, 49-70, 74(52)-38, 79(79)-24, 62-66, 22-63(52), 25-69, 81(81)-36, 71-61], showcasing his mastery and composure under pressure.

The match was a testament to Shahid’s resilience, as he capitalised on Sajjad’s mistakes to seal the deal.

“I started off well, I was playing better than my opponent, but I made some errors as there was a pressure of winning,” the 43-year-old, noted.

“I never left the practice and today my hard work paid off,” Shahid, who hails from Faisalabad, told Dawn after his win. “It’s all about timing. No matter how good of a player you are, luck plays a big role and you have to capitalise on the chances and I think that’s what I did today.”

Shahid acknowledged that he should have won the match more comfortably, but errors under pressure allowed Sajjad to stay in contention.

Shahid also mentioned that his semi-final win over country’s best cueist Mohammad Asif also boosted his confidence which helped him in the decider.

“The most difficult fixture of mine was against Asif as he is the most commanding player currently in the circuit,” Shahid, who follows Scottish cueist John Higgins, said. “All players are good but sometimes it’s the confidence that makes the difference at this level.”

Sajjad, who lost the decisive frame, acknowledged that the tough match had spurred his confidence.

“This was a pleasant tournament for me overall,” Sajjad, who is from Sargodha, told Dawn. “I lost today but that’s part of the game.”

“It’s always great to compete at the top level, it was a tough match and definitely contributed to spurring my confidence.”

The match itself was a thrilling affair, with both players trading frames.

Shahid was cruising towards the title when he clinched five frames out of seven which included a break of 82 in the second frame.

In the seventh frame, the 40-year-old Sajjad took a 24-point lead before missing a long pot, allowing Shahid to seize the opportunity and compile a break of 79, ultimately winning the frame.

The eighth frame saw Sajjad miss a red after the opening break, giving Shahid another opening. Shahid surged to a 40-point lead, but struggled to execute a cannon and was forced to play a difficult shot, which he missed.

Sajjad eventually opened his account, but missed a tricky double shot, giving Shahid control. Shahid gained a 21-point lead, but missed the green, allowing Sajjad to mount a comeback. Sajjad missed an easy blue, but ultimately won the frame after Shahid failed to take advantage.

Sajjad kept the momentum as he bagged the next two frames to tie the score. Shahid though halted the comeback as he won the penultimate frame to regain composure.

The last frame had everyone on the edge. Sajjad took a 15-point lead but missed an easy shot on red, handing Shahid the opportunity to clinch the title.

Shahid carefully built his break, taking a nine-point lead before failing to execute a cannon.

However, Sajjad’s brave attempt to stay in the game ultimately proved futile.

As the frame progressed, Shahid’s experience and skill took center stage. He pounced on Sajjad’s mistakes, including a crucial foul, to take a 20-point lead. Although Sajjad fluked the green and landed nicely on the brown, his luck ran out when he potted the cue ball along with the blue.

With the title within his grasp, Shahid remained focused, potting the last three balls to bag the championship.

As he shook Sajjad’s hand, a wide smile of relief spread across his face, marking the culmination of his 14-year journey to reclaim the title.

Shahid’s last national title came in 2011, when he defeated Imran Shahzad. This victory marks a remarkable resurgence in his career, and he will be looking to build on this momentum in the Asian Championship later this month.

On the decisive miss on the blue, where Sajjad could’ve equalised the match, he said that these moments are hard to swallow but there’s nothing you can do about them.

“I thought I had potted the blue but these things happen,” he said.

As Shahid celebrated his victory, he couldn’t help but express his frustration over the lack of support and appreciation for players from the government.

“If a player does good internationally or even locally, he should be rewarded, which unfortunately doesn’t happen often,” he told Dawn.

The World Amateur Snooker title holder Asif was presented with a cash prize of Rs50,000 for his maximum break of 147 in the tournament.

“Maximum break was one of the few things which was missing from my resume, but thankfully I have achieved that too,” Asif, who won the Saarc Championship in January, told Dawn.

Asif is now eyeing the Asian Championship, another title which he hasn’t won yet.

“Hopefully I won’t make the mistakes in the Asian Championship that I made in this tournament,” the 42-year-old Asif said, recalling his semi-final loss against eventual winner Shahid.

Asif also congratulated Shahid on the triumph and also commended his performance in the semi-final where he won six consecutive frames to down the champion.

“It happened very seldom in my career that I lost from an advantageous position but that’s the sport and kudos to Shahid,” Asif said.

Asif also lamented about the delay in getting the promised prize money of some recently-held events in which he triumphed.

“When you don’t get rewarded for your achievements, it affects your game to some extent,” Asif said. “But these things used to bother me before compared to now. I just try to prove myself through my game and achievements.”

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2025