Without a doubt, the number one snooker player from Iran is Hossein Vafaei. The 30-year-old from Abadan, whose nickname is The Prince of Persia, is the highest-ranking player in Iran. He was also the first player from the country to win an international snooker tournament.
Like other sports, snooker attracts plenty of bettors. If you’re thinking of placing bets on the sport, it’s a good idea to check out snooker odds and see how much you stand to win. Some sportsbooks have competitive odds that can give you better returns than other sites.
Vafaei’s success as a snooker player on the world stage has no doubt encouraged lots of people in Iran to take up the sport. Here’s a look at Vafaei’s impressive career and how he’s affected the popularity of snooker in Iran.
Vafaei’s Snooker Career
Vafaei was born in 1994 and started playing professionally at the age of 18 in 2012. Before this, he took part in a range of amateur and under-21 tournaments. For example, he competed in the World Under-21 Amateur Snooker Championship in 2009 – his first major event – and reached the top 16.
In 2011, he became the winner of the World Amateur Snooker Championship, defeating his opponent Lee Walker 10-9. His age of 17 years and 81 days made him the youngest ever player to secure this title. Two other victories he secured were the ACBS Asian Under-21 Championship in 2012 and the World Amateur Under-21 Championship in 2014.
After turning 18, Vafaei looked at taking part in professional-level tournaments. Early on in his professional career, visa problems prevented him from accessing certain events. However, he managed to sort these out and was able to compete in a range of tournaments. He performed well but didn’t manage to win anything outright until 2022.
The Biggest Year of Vafaei’s Career
The year 2022 was when Vafaei’s career made it to the next level. This was thanks to an important victory he managed to secure. In January 2022, he won the 2022 Snooker Shoot Out, defeating established player Mark Williams in the final 71-0. This was the first time in Vafaei’s professional career that he had won a title.
Another feat was achieved in 2022 when Vafaei became the first Iranian to qualify for the World Snooker Championship. He lost 4-10 to Judd Trump in the tournament’s first round, but reaching the final alone was a huge milestone for him. Then in 2023, he qualified for the Masters, though he only made it to the quarter finals. Still, he had the highest break of 143 (shared with two other players).
Snooker’s Popularity in Iran
Vafaei is keen for more people from throughout the Middle East to take up snooker and make it to top-level international tournaments. Following his victory at the 2022 Snooker Shoot Out, he said, ‘I can’t imagine what the reaction back in Iran will be like, it will be very big. People will be proud of me and I am so happy about that. The future of snooker in Iran is very good and I am trying my best to make it bigger there. The first step is the hardest and I have won my first title now so maybe I can win more.’
He also said that Iranian snooker players who have watched him compete on the international level will know that they can do the same. In line with his achievements, The Bowling, Billiard & Boules Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (BBBFIR) has confirmed its commitment to developing snooker throughout Iran. It wants to make the sport more accessible to people and help players reach international tournaments.
Iran currently has a population of around 91 million. When it comes to finding future snooker stars, there’s a huge amount of potential. The BBBFIR will hopefully attract talented players to the sport and support those who want to excel at it.
Football, wrestling, volleyball, tennis, and futsal are among the most popular sports in Iran. It’s safe to say that snooker isn’t up there with these sports, but there’s every chance it will be someday. Vafaei still has many years of his professional career left. So long as he continues to champion the sport, along with the BBBFIR, there’s every chance snooker will grow in popularity in Iran.
Sources:
https://www.wst.tv/players/99019ac8-ad6a-4927-9f93-1935ea43ca55
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0c2nvvt
https://wpbsa.com/player/hossein-vafaei/
https://www.britannica.com/place/Iran/Sports-and-recreation