August 17th 2024.
Haris Tahir has quickly made a name for himself on the professional snooker tour, impressing fans and fellow players alike with his skills on the table. However, he is not content with just a good start – his ultimate goal is to reach the top spot and be number one in the world.
Having qualified for the World Snooker Tour earlier this year at the Asia/Oceania Q School in Bangkok, the 24-year-old has taken a huge step towards achieving his dream. Though he may have been the runner-up in the Asian Under-21 Championship, becoming a professional player is a whole new level for Tahir. But he has handled the pressure with ease, winning his first two matches against Jamie Jones and Dean Young in the Wuhan and British Open qualifiers.
Naturally, Tahir is thrilled with his early success, but he is not satisfied with just a couple of wins in qualifiers. "It's amazing for me," he shared with Metro. "To come here and win both matches, I had to play at my best. It was truly enjoyable and I can't express the feeling, but I'm really happy with how it's going." However, he is not stopping there – his ultimate goal is to be the top-ranked player in the world.
To reach the top, Tahir has moved to Sheffield for two years to train at The Ding Junhui Snooker Academy. He is surrounded by top players, including Ding himself, and is working hard to improve his game. "There are so many good players," he explained. "Right now, it's just me here in the UK, and it's my first time here, so it's great to be at Ding's. There are about 20 Chinese players, and I play with all of them, as well as the Indians and Iranians. I'm really enjoying my time here, and everything is conveniently close by. It's a lot different from Lahore, which is much bigger."
As someone who previously competed in amateur circuits, Tahir is still getting used to playing against professionals. "I knew the Indian and Iranian players who recently qualified from the Q Tour, but I didn't know any professionals before this," he shared. "It's all new for me, but I'm grateful for this opportunity. I've won medals in Asian tournaments, but this is my first time competing against professionals, and it's a huge achievement for me."
Next up for Tahir is a challenging match against world champion Kyren Wilson in the opening round of the Xi'an Grand Prix. Despite the tough opponent, Tahir is excited for the opportunity to play against such a high-level player. "I want to play with any player, all the top players," he declared. "Maybe even the top 16 – I want to compete with them. If I get the chance, I'll be able to learn so much more about snooker and improve my game. I'm really looking forward to playing against Kyren."
Tahir's journey to professional snooker began around 15 years ago when he was just 8 or 9 years old. "I started watching and playing snooker at a young age," he recalled. "In 2014, I qualified for the Junior National Championship in Pakistan, which was my first tournament." While snooker may not be widely broadcasted on television in Pakistan, it is still a popular sport, with many players and fans. However, Tahir shared that there is no government support for the game, but that hasn't stopped the sport from being a beloved pastime for many in his home country.
Despite his passion for snooker, Tahir doesn't consider himself a die-hard fan outside of playing the game. "I don't watch snooker anymore," he admitted. "Once I finish playing and leave the tournament venue, I don't think about snooker. I have my own life outside of the game, and I enjoy traveling and swimming. Those are the things I love to do."
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