KARACHI: Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) president, Alamgir Shaikh, has reiterated his stance by urging the government to honour the duo of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sajjad with cash awards for their achievements as per the government policy.

He distributed copies mentioning international achievements of the two cueists to newsmen in a press conference at the Karachi Gymkhana on Thursday. The details also contained the copies of government announcement pertaining to rewards, dated June 30, 2007

The government owes a sum of Rs 24.5 million to former world amateur champion Asif. That includes Rs10 million for winning the world title at Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2012; Rs5 million for winning Asian 6-Reds title at Doha in 2013; Rs5 million for winning IBSF world team title at Carlow, Ireland, in 2013; Rs 2.5 million for winning silver medal at IBSF world team event at Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt, in 2014 and Rs2 million for winning silver medal in Asian team event at Karachi in 2014.

The government has an outstanding of Rs17.5 million of Sajjad which includes Rs5 million for winning IBSF world team title at Carlow, Ireland, in 2013; Rs3 million for securing bronze at IBSF world snooker championship, at Latvia, in 2013; Rs2.5 million for winning silver medal at IBSF world team event at Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt, in 2014; Rs2 million for winning silver medal in Asian team event at Karachi in 2014 and Rs 5 million for winning silver medal in IBSF world championship at Bangalore in 2014.

Alamgir added that he had apprised the IPC Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada and secretary Ejaz Chaudhry who did not contest the amount but said that lack of funds were causing the delay in honouring the two renowned cueists of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2014