SAMUNDRI, Punjab, Pakistan (Reuters): Born without arms but mastered the game of snooker. 32-year-old Muhammad Ikram took aim, lowered his neck and hit his chin, sent a cue ball across the table and slotted his shot into a corner pocket.
In Samundri, a dusty country town in Punjab province, Ikram held a cue ball with his chin for eight years, and now anyone can take it.
Watch Muhammad Ikram Video Intro
“I have met a lot of good snooker players who have told me that I am a real genius and I can make Pakistan become famous,” Ikram told Reuters.
Ikram is one of nine children born to a poor family. As a child he was uneducated and disadvantaged. Its main task is to watch people play snooker, a game that no one ever dreamed they could play. He doesn’t remember how the idea came to him, but somewhere down the track he quietly starts practicing.
“She would hope to see other boys playing. She always wanted to have hands so she could play like that,” said her mother, Razia Bibi. “Then he started using his chin.”
According to Mian Usman Ahmed, co-owner of the Cuemaster Snooker Club, Ikram has won several awards at local tournaments over the past two years.
Ikram Born without arms
“He came to the club and wanted to allowed to play. We will look at his hands and feel that he is not capable – said Ahmed.
“He insisted that we let him … prove himself. When he did, we saw that he was indeed very good.”
Ikram said people value his peace of mind and some restaurants allow him to eat for free. Servants are hired to feed him with a spoon.
“God didn’t give me a arm, but he gave me courage. And I used that spirit to fulfill my ambition. So no one should give up,” Ikram said when asked what he said to the disabled.
He hopes to play internationally one day with government help.
According to official figures, Pakistan has 3.3 million people with disabilities, although other studies have shown that they make up nearly 13% of a population of around 210 million.
