BBC Sport4/22/2026SportsUnited Kingdom
Hossein Vafaei fighting for Iran as he targets World Championship run
Iranian snooker player, 32, reaches Crucible for fifth straight year while dealing with conflict at home
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- Iranian snooker player Hossein Vafaei has secured his fifth consecutive appearance at the World Championship at the Crucible, defeating Gao Yang 10-4 in qualifying.
- The world number 32, who faces Si Jiahui in the first round, says the ongoing conflict in Iran since late February has made it extremely difficult to focus on his game, though his family are safe.
- Vafaei reached the last 16 in 2023 and 2025, and hopes strong performances can provide pride to Iranians watching at home.
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Iranian snooker player Hossein Vafaei has secured his fifth consecutive appearance at the World Championship at the Crucible, defeating Gao Yang 10-4 in qualifying. The world number 32, who faces Si Jiahui in the first round, says the ongoing conflict in Iran since late February has made it extremely difficult to focus on his game, though his family are safe. Vafaei reached the last 16 in 2023 and 2025, and hopes strong performances can provide pride to Iranians watching at home.
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This article was originally published by BBC Sport.
