Snooker Legend Says Fighting for Iranian People
Iranian snooker player Hossein Vafaei hopes he can bring some happiness to his nation during his emotion-filled run at the World Championship that has already seen him oust the sport’s top-ranked player, Judd Trump.
Vafaei, the world number 32 nicknamed the “Prince of Persia”, said he has been “all over the place” mentally in recent months during the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran in late February, questioning whether he should even be competing in tournaments.Yet he decided he wanted to “fight for my people”, qualifying to reach the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
On Monday, Vafaei secured perhaps the biggest victory of his career by keeping his cool in a final-frame decider to beat Trump 13-12 and reach the quarterfinals for the first time.
“With my cue, I can do something for them to make them happy at least,” Vafaei stated, adding, “To show that the Iran flag is there … and you still can’t raise it.”
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