Muhammad Asif Clinches Historic Third IBSF World Men’s Snooker Title

Muhammad Asif from Pakistan has made history by winning the 2024 IBSF World Men’s Snooker Championship, securing his third world title. This remarkable achievement makes Asif only the second player in history, after India’s Pankaj Advani, to win the prestigious title three times.

Asif’s journey to the final was anything but straightforward. After a tough start in Stage-I, where he initially failed to qualify, he bounced back in the second part of Stage-I, defeating compatriot Asjad Iqbal to secure his spot in Stage-II. The group stage was challenging for Asif, as he won only one of his three matches, but his consistent performance was enough to see him through to the knockout rounds.

In the knockout stages, Asif showed his resilience. He first took on defending champion Ali Alobaidli of Qatar, dominating the match to eliminate the titleholder. In the Last-16, he faced another Qatari player, Ahmed Saif, and was on the verge of elimination but managed to win in a tense deciding frame.

Reflecting on his experiences, Asif spoke about learning from past mistakes. This newfound focus helped him produce a stellar 4-1 victory over Mohamed Shehab, where he registered two century breaks, despite Shehab also posting a century.

The semi-final saw Asif face former World 6-Red Champion Michael Georgiou, who took an early 2-0 lead. But Asif responded with two brilliant breaks of 94 and 111, leveling the match at 2-2. He continued his momentum, winning two more frames to lead 4-2 before closing out the match 5-3.

In the final, Asif took an early lead against Iran’s Ali Gharaghouzlo, winning the first frame. Gharaghouzlo then fired back with a break of 84 to level the match at 1-1. However, Asif quickly regained control, crafting breaks of 56 and 106 to take a commanding 4-1 lead.

As the match neared its conclusion, Asif missed a red in the sixth frame, giving Gharaghouzlo a chance to reduce the deficit. Gharaghouzlo seized the opportunity with a break of 58, cutting the gap to 4-2. He then followed up with a superb 118 break to narrow Asif’s lead to 4-3, putting the pressure on the Asif.

Here Asif kept his composure, responding with a clinical 80-point break to seal a 5-3 victory and claim his third IBSF World Men’s Snooker Championship title, cementing his place as one of snooker’s greatest players.

The two semi-finalists, Mahmoud El Hareedy of Egypt and Michael Georgiou of Cyprus, were awarded joint bronze medals at the 2024 IBSF World Men’s Snooker Championship. With this achievement, El Hareedy made history as the first African player to earn a medal at the IBSF World Championship.

In addition to his bronze medal, Michael Georgiou was also recognized with the Highest Break Prize for his outstanding 136-point break.

The medal presentation ceremony was attended by key IBSF officials, including President Mubarak Al-Khayarin, and Qatar Billiard Sports Federation chief Mohammed Mubarak Al Ramzani, who presented medals and trophies to the winners.