KARACHI, June 23: Veteran cueist Mohammad Yousuf’s dream to coach Pakistan players came true when he was appointed coach-cum-camp commandant of the world under-21 China-bound team by the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) the other day.

The two-week camp in the run-up to the world meet runs from June 25 to July 8 at the PSB Sports Complex in Islamabad.

The IBSF world under-21 snooker championship takes place in Wu Xi, China, from July 14 to 22.

As per PBSA policy, national junior champion Hunain Aamir and runner-up Mohammad Majid Ali will participate in the event.

Both the cueists earlier featured in the Asian under-21 snooker championship held in the Indian city of Goa in April where they went down fighting in pre-quarterfinals.

Hunain went down 3-4 to Iran’s Mohammad Lababi while Majid also suffered a 3-4 loss to Indian Laxman Rawat.

Yousuf, 60, a critic of the PBSA, had been advocating for the coaching assignment since long but his desire remain unfulfilled due to financial constraints in the past.

He is, perhaps, the only cueist globally having World, Asian and World Masters titles under his belt. He captured the World Masters title in 2006 by getting the better of Glen Wilkinson 5-4 in the final in Amman, Jordan.

He was in best nick until 2006 when he beat Imran Shehzad, a former Pakistan No 1, 6-5, to win his last ranking title.

After a layoff, he has managed a comeback on the circuit and amongst the top 20 in the latest rankings.

“It’s a beginning and the relationship between Yousuf and the PBSA may grow once the institution gets financially strong,” president of the PBSA, Alamgir Shaikh, told Dawn.

“The PBSA has requested sponsors Jubilee Insurance and the provi-ncial ministry of youth to provide some funds for sending the cueists after the PSB’s refusal,” he added. —Anwar Zuberi