Hossein Vafaei considered quitting snooker ‘many times’ as difficulties on tour continue
'Maybe I should stop playing snooker. Many times I was thinking about that.'
Hossein Vafaei has considered quitting snooker on multiple occasions due to visa issues he faces while playing on the tour.
The Iranian has had to deal with problems on this front throughout his career, with his start to life as a professional over a decade ago delayed due to visa roadblocks.
The 30-year-old has now lived in the UK for a number of years and the issues are less inhibiting, but still get in the way of his progress.
This season he had to withdraw from the German Masters due to visa problems at a crucial time of the season when he needed ranking points to get into the events at the back end of the campaign.
Vafaei says his frustrations have been so bad at times that he has considered giving up snooker, but would not want to let down his fans and aspiring players in his home country.
‘Don’t put your hand on my heart!’ Vafaei said when asked about being forced out of the German Masters this year.
‘Sometimes you wake up and you want to just say, maybe I should stop playing snooker. Many times I was thinking about that.
‘I was thinking about all those young kids who go to the snooker club every day, they look at me and if I do that what’s going to happen to them? I couldn’t be selfish. In my culture it’s not like this.
‘A lot of people love snooker and if I think like that it’s not good for them. If I talk bad about this sport I must think about whatever is coming out of my mouth.’
The Prince of Persia is back at the Crucible for a fourth straight year and will take on Barry Hawkins in the opening round, but he is not just dealing with administrative problems as he prepares to take on the Hawk.
Vafaei’s shoulder has been injured since January and he says the pain is still very bad as he awaits surgery after the World Championship.
‘I went to the gym, I was angry and I went heavy,’ he explained. ‘I went to do my shoulders, did it heavy to get all the negative out and after two or three days I felt it in my neck, then my shoulder, then made my left arm completely numb.
‘The doctor told me I need to rest, I shouldn’t play snooker. I started playing again and then hurt my disc. One of my discs is turning around right now as well. After here I probably have to go to the surgery in Iran. I’m in lots of pain right now, playing.
‘Every shot [it hurts]. The doctor scanned my neck and he will be shocked how I’m playing.
‘I don’t have any other way, I have to wait and if I don’t compete then people will say lots of bad things. I have to finish my tournaments and after that go to the Iran Olympic Committee, then they have a doctor waiting for me for a long time now. They decide what I have to do.’
Vafaei has only ever won one match at the Crucible, but he has made a serious impression by feuding with Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2023 and criticising the venue last year.
On what he has learned from his trips to the sport’s most iconic venue, he said: ‘I learn a lot of things. I put myself in really, really difficult situations many times. That was a good challenge for me, I learned a lot of lessons.
‘Life is all about lessons. I always believe that where you cry, one day you will be happy there.
‘Whatever happened in the past, it doesn’t matter. People laugh at me, I don’t care. There is always someone to laugh at you even if you do the right thing. One person or one billion people.’
Vafaei and Hawkins play over two sessions on Saturday and Sunday evening at the Crucible.
