KARACHI: Secretary Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) Ejaz Chaudhry on Thursday held out firm assurance to Pakistan Billiards and Snooker (PBSF) in connection with financial assistance for the Pakistan team next month’s Indian tour besides meeting expenses of sending three to four promising cueists to attend professional academy in China in the near future.

“I’ll again recommend the snooker players pending issue of rewards to the prime minister and allotment of residential plot to former IBSF world snooker champion Mohammad Asif in Faisalabad,” he said while responding to his (Asif’s) request.

He made these remarks while talking to a two-member delegation comprising PBSF president Alamgir Shaikh and Asif in his office in Islamabad.

“Asif is a national hero and the government will do its best for him,” the PBSF official told Dawn on return from Islamabad while quoting the IPC secretary.

Alamgir said that the secretary also assured him of cash incentive to the former world champion as a token of goodwill gesture.

As far as the issue of special grants for the Indian tour and sending cueists to China, he said the IPC official has assured of recommendation of the same in the next executive committee meeting of the PSB.

Earlier, Alamgir and Asif called on the IPC Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada in his office and apprised him of issues related to the promotion of game in the country.

According to PBSF chief, the minister said he always give importance to the cue sport in view of its rich history of winning laurels to the nation.

Terming the meetings fruitful, Alamgir sounded optimistic for a better future of game.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2014