MANAMA – Pakistan’s snooker stars continue to shine on the world stage as veteran cueist Muhammad Asif and rising talent Hasnain Akhtar stormed into the finals of their respective categories at the IBSF World Snooker Championships 2025 in Bahrain.
In the World Masters category, Muhammad Asif displayed exceptional skill and composure to defeat India’s Manan Chandra 4-2 in the semi-final at the Crowne Plaza Bahrain. The former world amateur champion recovered from being 1-2 down to clinch the last three frames, winning with impressive frame scores of 118-6, 0-84, 25-76, 92-11, 87-62, and 72-41.
Asif will now face either Vijay Nichani or Brijesh Damani of India in the final—an exciting rematch in the making, as Damani had defeated Asif earlier in the group stage.
In a parallel victory for Pakistan, 16-year-old Hasnain Akhtar qualified for the IBSF World U17 Snooker Championship final with a dominant 4-0 triumph over Poland’s Oliwier Nizialek. With frame scores of 76-1, 69-8, 88-0, and 62-37, Hasnain sealed his spot in the final with a flawless performance.
He will face Wales’ Riley Powell in the championship decider scheduled for Friday.
Hasnain’s campaign has been remarkable—losing just one frame in the entire tournament so far. His semi-final berth came after a commanding 3-1 win over Krzysztof Czapnik of Poland.
These back-to-back achievements mark a proud moment for Pakistan’s cue sports scene and highlight the country’s growing presence in international snooker.