ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s cueists will not be able to participate in the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Under-18 and Under-21 Men’s Snooker Championships due to visa issues, Pakistan Billiard and Snooker Association (PBSA) secretary general Munawwar Hussain Shaikh said on Monday. “We named our two cueists – Haris Tahir and Mohammad Saqib – to participate in the two events but unfortunately they could not leave due to visa issues,” Munawwar told media. The championships were set to be held in Brussels, Belgium from August 15. Blossoming cueists from around the world are taking part in the eight-day event, which will conclude on August 23. “We decided to field Haris and Saqib in both the events and were hoping to claim gold medals, but despite our best efforts we failed to obtain visas for them,” said Shaikh. “We applied for visas well in time and were also in constant touch with Belgium Snooker Academy. But it is unfortunate we were denied the same,” he added. Shaikh said besides Pakistan, Afghan, Indian and Iranian cueists were also denied visas for the championships. He said the PBSA had decided to give opportunity to Haris and Saqib to play with seniors in the ongoing eighth edition of National Bank of Pakistan Ranking Snooker Championship 2016 at the NBP Sports Complex.