ISLAMABAD: Ace cueist Babar Masih, who represents Pakistan in international tournaments’, is running from pillar to post for obtaining a job to ensure a respectable livelihood for his family.
The Rawalpindi born self-made former Pakistan No.1 said, “Despite winning several laurels for the country, I don’t represent any department. Current junior players have been offered jobs instead of me. I don’t know the reason as I have outstanding performances in my career”.
Babar’s top international performances include 2019 Asian Championship Doha, Qatar (gold, silver, bronze medal); Asian Championship 2018 Doha Qatar (gold medal); World Championship Egypt 2017 (gold medal bronze); Asian Snooker Championship 2017 at Kyrgyzstan (silver medal); 2016 Asian Billiard Sport Championship Fujairah (gold medal) and 2015 World Team Event Pakistan (gold medal).
His national pinnacle performances comprise 2013 Punjab Champion, 2016 Punjab Ranking Champion and 2018 Punjab Ranking Champion. “I have been playing snooker for the last 17 years and have been giving my 100 per cent. I am in dire need for a job to support my family,” Babar who is currently Ranked 11th in national ranking said.
To a question, he complained that the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) was not doing necessary efforts for providing jobs to cueists. “PBSA had told me that they had been trying for my employment in banks but no outcome had yet been seen,” he said.
He said that in 2016 former PBSA president Alamgir Shaikh had promised him a job if he performed well in tournaments. “In that year I topped the tournaments and was ranked Pakistan No. 1 but was not offered any employment”, he said.
“In 2017, me and Muhammad Shahbaz were to in the line for employment in a bank but at the last moment Muddasir Sheikh (Rawalpindi), Ehsan Ramzan (Lahore), Haider Ali (Gujranwala) and Muhammad Bilal were offered jobs instead through PBSA,” he claimed.
When contacted, PBSA President Munawar Hussain Shaikh said that the departments preferred to give jobs to junior players and added that currently, no negotiations were in progress for the country’s only top Christian player.