Summary Mohammad Asif had won the world championship on December 2, 2012 in Bulgaria.
ISLAMABAD (Online) - World Snooker Champion Mohammad Asif is yet to be given the cash awards worth Rs one million each as announced by the Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa sports minister during their previous tenures.
Talking to Online on telephone, Mohammad Asif said: “It’s very depressing as I have not been paid the cash award so far, announced by the three provincial governments.”
“If they were not to honor their pledges then why did they announce cash prizes for me after winning the world snooker championship,” the World Snooker Champion questioned.
Additionally, Asif has not been paid cash award of Rs. 10 million as per the Sports Policy of the government for winning the coveted World Snooker title for Pakistan.
“Minister of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Riaz Hussain Pirzada on his recent visit to Faisalabad on the occasion of opening ceremony of Snooker Academy had promised to pay me cash award of Rs. 10 million as per the Sports Policy of the government.”
The governments of Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had announced cash award of one million rupees each for Mohammad Asif but they seem to have forgotten their announcements thinking it was just political statements.
Last month, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) Alamgir A. Shaikh had held a meeting with IPC Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada and briefed the Minister regarding the delay in the announcement of the Cash Award of Rs. 10 Million for Muhammad Asif (Snooker champion) as per the Sports Policy of the government for winning the coveted World Snooker title for Pakistan.
The President had requested the IPC Minister to use his good offices for the release of the Cash Award for Muhammad Asif. The IPC Minister had assured the President PBSA that the Cash Award entitlement of Rs. 10 Million to Muhammad Asif would be expedited and would be presented soon to the World Champion at a ceremony which would be arranged at Islamabad.
Mohammad Asif, a resident of Faisalabad, had defeated England’s Gary Wilson in the final to win the world championship on December 2, 2012 in Bulgaria.
