Hossein Vafaei, the Iranian snooker prodigy, has finally delivered on his early promise by reaching the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, England. He became the first Iranian to achieve this feat, stunning world No. 1 Judd Trump along the way before eventually losing to China's Wu Yize.

Vafaei first picked up a cue at age six and became the youngest-ever World Amateur champion at 17 in 2011. However, strained diplomatic relations between Iran and the UK left him in visa limbo for four years, delaying his professional debut until 2015.

The 31-year-old has used his platform to support his compatriots amid turmoil in Iran, including nationwide protests and war. After his win over Trump, he said: "It's very tough to be an Iranian at this time. With my cue, I can do something for them to make the Iranian people happy and show the Iran flag."

Vafaei previously wore a black armband at the 2022 UK Championship in solidarity with protests over Mahsa Amini's death. He remains cautious in public statements as his family still lives in Iran.

Judd Trump praised Vafaei: "If he was from somewhere else and hadn't had visa issues, he would have been in the top 16 by now. He's more than good enough to win all kinds of events." Vafaei has moved to Sheffield and dreams of lifting the Crucible trophy.

Source: www.dw.com