Hoseein Vafaei is set to break new ground when he becomes the first Iranian player to compete at the World Snooker Championship. The 27-year-old prevailed in a tight qualifying match with Chinese star Lei Peifan 10-9 to etch his name into the history books.
During the match, Vafaei made six half-century breaks, including a clearance of 54 and took advantage of a mistake by his opponent while trailing by 61 in the final frame. The snooker star, who is also the first Iranian to become a professional player, was delighted with his latest achievement and explained his unique method to try and calm his nerves.
"I'm so happy I have made my people proud," said Vafaei. "I was so nervous today, all of my body was shaking. I was eating a lot of chocolate to try to calm myself down but it wasn't working.
