Hamza seeks pots of gold

Photo: Pictures by ANTHONY MILLER.

PICTURE OF CONCENTRATION . . . Hamza Akbar displays an immaculate technique.

OLDHAM will have two representatives in the UK Snooker Championship at York’s Barbican Centre.

Moorside’s Michael Wild will be there, joined by a newcomer to Oldham, 22-year-old Hamza Akbar.

Pakistan’s leading player and recent winner of the Asian Championship in Malaysia, Akbar is based at the Oldham Snooker Academy run by Mohammed Nisar. Akbar hails from Faislabad and took up snooker at the age of 13, winning the Pakistan national title in 2012 and this year.

He represented his country at the World Cup in China, narrowly missing out on a place in the knock-out phase. Pakistan beat Northern Ireland 4-1, when a 5-0 win would have seen them into the quarter-finals.

Akbar clinched his professional tour card in winning the Asian Championship and will join Wild and the other 126 top players in the world bidding for glory in York from November 24-December 6.

Akbar has been given a home in Werneth and superb practice facilities by OSA boss Nisar.

He had to overcome protracted visa difficulties to be given the all-clear to enter Britain, but now he is here Akbar is determined to succeed

He told World Snooker: “I was extremely happy to gain a tour card by winning the Asian title. I’m the only professional from Pakistan so I’m representing 180 million Pakistanis!”

Akbar, whose ultimate goal is winning the World Championship, is grateful for the chance to show his skills: “I would like to thank the Pakistan government who helped me while I was an amateur, the Pakistan Sports Board which has given me a grant to come here, and Mohammed Nisar, for giving me this chance,” he said.

Akbar is one of a number of top players who can regularly be seen in action at OSA.



HAMZA Akbar is looking for a sponsor: contact Mohammed Nisar on 07958 380375.