KARACHI: Pakistan’s snooker prodigy, 16-year-old Ahsan Ramzan, wants the government and society to treat cueists as importantly as cricketers in the country.
Ahsan became the third Pakistani to win the IBSF world snooker championship on Friday when he defeated Iran’s Amir Sarkosh in a nerve-testing final. This is overall the country’s 4th IBSF title as Mohammad Asif had won the title twice.
Soon after his victory, Ahsan said that words are not enough to express his feelings after becoming the world champion at the age of 16.
“I can’t ask for more at this age. I can’t express my feelings in words. The feeling of being a world champion is something that only a sportsperson can feel or tell. I am thankful to Almighty Allah for this achievement,” he said.
Ahsan, who was seeded 27th in the championship, had defeated 2nd seed and defending champion Mohammad Asif in the semi-final before beating top seed Iran’s Sarkosh in the final.
The teenager couldn’t control his emotions after winning the semifinal on Thursday night. His photo of getting emotional while being hugged by Asif went viral on social media this morning.
“It was the moment when I felt that I am heading towards becoming the world champion,” Ahsan mentioned about the semifinal.
The Lahore-based cueist revealed that his journey from the narrow streets of Lahore to the World championship arena wasn’t an easy one.
“I started playing snooker at the age of 6 or 7. It wasn’t an easy sail for me to get out of my home first to the streets of my vicinity, then to main roads of my city and then play provincial and national championship before qualifying to get here,” he said.
“People usually see just one player on a snooker table, but there’s a long struggle and journey behind that one player. I also want to thank everyone who supported and backed me, from my friends to club mates, from the club where I first played to PBSA; it wouldn’t have been possible without their unconditional support,” the youngster said.
Ahsan hoped that his victory would help snooker in Pakistan get its due importance.
“I want the government to support snooker; I want society to support snooker,” he said.
“I wish that when I go back home, I also get the heroic welcome that any other world champion would receive, it is my wish that we — snooker players — also get the same treatment from the society that our cricketers receive from them,” he concluded.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) reports that tickets for the much awaited Pakistan-India encounter in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is set to take place in Dubai, were sold out in a matter of minutes.
The tremendous demand for the Pakistan-India match underscores the fierce rivalry and excitement surrounding the tournament, even though tickets for the semi-finals are currently on sale.
Pavilion-specific ticket prices ranged from 500 AED for regular pavilion tickets to 1,200 AED to 5,000 AED for premium seats. The price of the elite Grand Lounge VIP packages was 12,500 AED, or roughly PKR 500,000.
On Tuesday, tickets will also go on sale for India’s first semi-final in Dubai as well as their final two group matches. Tickets for general stands are available for purchase online with prices for general stands starting at 125 AED.
Today marks the start of the second phase of the ICC Champions Trophy ticket sale. Tickets for the opening match of mega event between Pakistan and New Zealand already sold out in the first Phase. Following the Online sale of Tickets Last week, Physical Tickets for the Eight-Team competition will go on sale from Today. Tickets for Matches in Pakistan including Group Stage Fixtures and the second Semi-Final will be Available at 108 Outlets of courier Service across the Country. The Physical Tickets will be available to fans in 26 Cities of Pakistan.
For the ten matches that will be held in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, general stand tickets will start at 1,000 Pakistan Rupees, while premium seats in various categories will start at 1,500 Pakistan Rupees. Tickets for the India matches scheduled for February 20 and 23 and March 2 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will be made available as soon as possible.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 may commence without the traditional opening ceremony or captains’ press conference due to a modified arrival schedule for the participating teams.
This year, the England and Australia cricket teams will arrive in Pakistan nearer to the commencement of the event.
Sources inside the International Cricket Council (ICC) have verified that teams, including England and Australia, will arrive in Pakistan following their separate tours.
England is set to complete its tour of India by February 12, but Australia will conclude their series in Sri Lanka on February 14.
Consequently, both teams have retracted from the warm-up matches, a decision aligned with prior ICC events, where tardy attendance hindered practice matches.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) indicated interest in staging an opening ceremony; but, logistical issues related to the teams’ arrival dates resulted in its postponement.
The PCB stated that although the occurrence was not officially verified, it has consistently been regarded as a potentiality.
Although the opening ceremony and press conference have been cancelled, the PCB is dedicated to organising an alternative event to commemorate the importance of hosting the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time in 29 years.
The inaugural match of the tournament, featuring Pakistan and New Zealand, is set for February 19 in Karachi.
The PCB has stated that a celebration for fans will be organized ahead of the match to highlight the excitement surrounding the event.