Friday Sep 20, 2024
Friday Sep 20, 2024
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By Althaf Nawaz
There was no such fanfare when MJM Lafir brought glory to Sri Lanka when he became world billiards champion in 1973 establishing himself as the king of the green baize in Bombay beating the more fancied Indian cueists Satish Mohan and Michael Ferreira in their backyard. He was accorded a hero’s welcome when he arrived in Sri Lanka on 22 December 50 years ago following his epic triumph.
He spurned offers to turn professional when he emerged runner-up in 1969 at the championship that was held in London. After winning the crown, he was promised riches by those in authority but like most champions he passed away at 52, a dejected man.
“Many used me, and if it had not been for my faith in God and my resolve to win, I would not have come so far,” he was reported to have confided in his last media interview in 1981.
Messenger Street was renamed in his memory, a postage stamp was issued to mark his monumental feat and Asian Snooker champion receives the MJM Lafir challenge trophy since 2006. But to many Sri Lankans, his triumph is just a distant memory.
It is fascinating to revisit how this genial maestro of the green baize achieved his date with destiny half a century ago.
“Mohammed Lafir, who learnt to play billiards on his family dining table using a broomstick for a cue, marbles for balls, a sarong for a cloth and a cycle tube for cushions, won the World Amateur Billiards championship at the Cricket Club of India, in Bombay, winning all his nine matches and making a new world record, break of 859,” wrote Snooker Scene Editor Cliver Everton on Lafir’s magnificent triumph.
“In many ways it was a surprise win, not only because Satish Mohan the Indian champion, started as odds-on favourite but because Lafir, 8th out of 12 in the World Open in New Zealand last year and a poor 4th in the World Amateur in Malta in 1971, seemed to be falling away from the form that had taken him into second place in the 1967 event in Colombo and joint second in the 1969 championship in London,” states Welshman Everton who finished 5th in the championship.
Lafir set a new world record four hours aggregate of 2,850 points against Scotsman Luigi Umberto Demarco and topped it with a new world record amateur break of 859 in 49 minutes 47 seconds against New Zealander Eric Simons, surpassing Australian Bob Marshall’s mark of 702.
In 1974, Lafir recorded a rare double of winning the national billiards and snooker titles – the fourth cueist to register the double. The previous three were Wilson Jones (1960), Robert Marshall (1962) and Satish Mohan (1968). Lafir won the snooker title for the 7th time having first won it in 1957. This was his first victory in billiards, the closest he had got to it was in 1965 when he had finished runner-up.
For a nation obsessed with cricket, Lafir’s incredible feat remains just a postage stamp. A player who was lyrical on the green baize and had the gentlest touch with cue in hand, he was an exemplary professional during an amateur era. He was a sporting legend born ahead of his time and there will never be another like him.
MJM Lafir Timeline
Mohamed Junaid Mohamed Lafir was born on 27 May 1929 in a family of two brothers and one sister. He was educated at Hameed Al Husseinie Maha Vidyalaya. He started playing snooker from age seven using broomstick as cue and lime fruits as balls, on the family dining table.
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