Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif will vie for his third IBSF World Snooker Championship crown after reaching the final of the 2025 edition being played in Qatar.
In a thrilling display of skill and resilience Muhammad Asif clinched his spot in the final by sneaking Cyprus’s Michael Georgiou 5-3 in a high-stakes semi-final clash.
The two-time world champion suffered an early setback dropping the first two frames to Georgiou. But Asif launched a fierce comeback, winning four consecutive frames with scores of 53-57, 5-71, 94-0, 111-6, 77-45, and 73-9, before sealing the match in a nail-biting final frame at 58-51.
His stunning performance also featured a century break of 111 in the fourth frame — his fifth of the tournament.
Despite Georgiou’s strong start and intermittent threats, Asif’s consistent pressure, particularly in the pivotal fifth and eighth frames, kept the momentum in his favor.
This victory marks Asif’s third appearance in an IBSF World Snooker Championship final, a rare feat that places him among an elite group of snooker greats. He previously won the tournament in 2012 and 2019.
India’s Pankaj Advani leads this circle with four final appearances and three titles, while Iran’s Amir Sarkhosh has reached the final thrice without a win.
Asif’s journey to the final has reignited hopes in Pakistan for a fifth world snooker title, following his own two titles and those won by compatriots Mohammad Yousaf and Ahsan Ramzan.
A victory in the final would solidify Asif’s legacy as one of Pakistan’s most decorated snooker players, further enhancing his reputation in the international snooker arena.