Asif Nears Medal at World Games After Victory

CHENGDU: Pakistani cueist Muhammad Asif advanced to the semi-finals of the World Games snooker event in Chengdu, China, on Tuesday, after defeating Britain’s Zak Cosker 2-0 in the quarter-final.

Asif clinched the first frame with a 79-15 score, marked by a break of 51. He continued his strong performance in the second frame, securing an 89-31 victory to win the match.

With this triumph, Muhammad Asif is now just one step away from securing a medal at the World Games.

A victory in the semi-final will assure him a spot on the podium, while a defeat would still allow him to compete for the bronze medal.

Notably, Pakistan has only secured one medal in the competition’s history. Shokat Ali earned that medal in snooker, winning the bronze at the 2001 World Games.

Earlier, Asif secured his spot in the quarterfinal by winning his second match against Germany’s Alexander Vadau in a thrilling 2-1 contest at the World Games in Chengdu, China, on Monday.

After losing the first frame 29-43, Asif displayed resilience by staging a comeback.

He delivered a remarkable break of 109 points in the second frame, dominating it 116-9 to even the match. Asif maintained his form in the deciding third frame, winning with a 67-32 score.

Asif’s consistent play led him to finish atop Group B, guaranteeing his place in the quarterfinals of the tournament. The World Games snooker quarterfinal matches took place on Tuesday.

Asif commenced his World Games snooker campaign strongly, securing a comfortable victory over China’s Xiaolong Liang in his opening group match on Sunday.

Asif dominated, winning the best-of-three encounter 2-0. He took the first frame 79-50 before sealing the match with a 77-24 score in the second frame.

In the men’s snooker competition at the World Games, twelve players are distributed into four groups, with the top two from each group progressing to the quarterfinals.

The World Games 2025 began in Chengdu, China, on Friday, featuring over 4000 athletes from over 100 nations, competing in 34 disciplines, including Snooker.

The cue sport, which was first included in the Games in 2001, will see twelve players compete for the gold medal this year.

Former IBSF World champion Asif was placed in Group B, alongside China’s Xiaolong and Germany’s Alexander Widau.

Asif secured his World Games 2025 qualification by winning the IBSF World Men’s Snooker Championship last year in Doha.

Asif, who entered the championship as a qualifier after receiving a wild card nomination to the event through the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSA), capitalized on the chance with strong performances.

He faced Iran’s Ali Gharahgozlou in the final and worked hard to secure a close 4-3 victory.

Muhammad Asif has been in excellent form recently, also winning the IBSF World Masters Snooker Championship title in Bahrain last month.

The experienced cueist overcame India’s Brijesh Damani 4-3 in the final to win his sixth world title. The 36-year-old has secured two team and three individual titles during his career.