An armless snooker player’s tale of valour

People who are born with handicaps or later develop issues with mobility, at times make herculean efforts to lead relatively normal lives and even excel in competence. There are numerous examples of persons having lost the use of their arms using their nose, chin or toes to become competent in computer skills and other proficiencies. Some become artists, teachers and even craftsmen.

The town of Samundri is famous for numerous features. It was on a major trade route during the reign of Sher Shah Suri. The present site of Samundri city was founded in 1887 as Chak No. 533 G.B. Later, it was renamed as Seh Mundri because of three Hindu mandirs (temples) in the area. The word Seh means three in Persian and Mandir is Sanskrit word for temple. In 1887, there were three Hindu shrines in this area but after the partition of the Sub-Continent and migration of the Hindu community to India, they became deserted and currently house the Government Primary School No 4. Samundri is also known for its contributions to Pakistan’s kabaddi team and has provided numerous big names, especially from Chak 176 G.B and 478 G.B. It has many Gujjar, Rajput and Jatt farmers who tend to be larger in size than elsewhere.

Samundri has made headlines since it is the proud home of Mohammad Ikram, who was born without arms. Instead of being discouraged or disheartened because of the disability, young Ikram mastered the game of snooker. He practiced hard to use his chin to strike the cue ball and pocket the desired orbs. He spent years honing his skills and has become a local champion. His story is inspiring and speaks volumes for what a person can achieve despite handicaps if there is determination and grit.

Ikram was born in a poor family and with eight siblings and his parents’ meagre resources, he could not attend school. Having spent his childhood in despair and isolation, fate took him to a local snooker hall, where he was fascinated watching various players display their skills. He decided to learn the game and master it. Not having arms, he was undeterred and practiced secretly, using the flick of his chin to strike the cue ball. Initially he would train quietly but as his confidence and skill level grew, he started competing with other players, which brought in the spirit of competition as well as refined his game.

His handicap of being armless was not the only hurdle. His parents, apprehensive of Ikram getting injured, barred him from playing snooker for many years. They later relented, seeing his passion and he resumed the sport. He has become a celebrity and opponents actually pay him to compete with them. The game of snooker was introduced in the Indian Sub-Continent during the days of the British Raj. The founding father of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a keen snooker player and indulged in the sport whenever his busy schedule permitted. Besides armed forces’ officers messes, snooker tables abound in cities and even in developed rural communities. The country has produced numerous snooker players, who have won fame and glory for the country.

Pakistan is currently the world snooker champion. The IBSF World Snooker Championship held at Antalya, Turkey, in November 2019, was won by Faisalabad-born master Muhammad Asif. Mohammed Yousuf of Pakistan had won the 1994 as well as the 2006 IBSF World Snooker championship and 1998 ACBS Asian Snooker Championship. In the 1994 World Tournament, which was held at Johannesburg, he defeated Iceland’s Johannes R. Johanneson 11–9 to become the World Snooker Champion. In 2006, he beat Glen Wilkinson of Australia in Amman 5–4 to win the IBSF World Masters Championship in Jordan. In 2019, the members of the Pakistani team Babar Masih and Zulfiqar Qadir had claimed victory at the Asian Snooker Championship by defeating Laxman Rawat, Aditya Mehta, and Pankaj Advani of team India. Numerous other Pakistani snooker players have won laurels for Pakistan in world as well as Asian championships but none have the grit and determination of Muhammad Ikram. Sportspeople with physical handicaps usually receive support and encouragement the world over but in Pakistan such a culture is missing. The government should step up to provide backing and funding for physically challenged sportspersons. Muhammad Ikram’s tale of valour and his video of cuing the snooker ball with his chin is becoming viral but he himself has no clue of what social media is. His example of sheer determination to overcome odds should serve as a motivation for persons with disabilities. His story must be told and propagated widely.