Hossein Vafaei ‘Fighting to Craft Iranians Proud’ at World Snooker Championship Hossein Vafaei is preparing to compete at the 2026 World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield while managing the emotional toll of ongoing conflict in his home country of Iran. The 32-year-old Iranian professional, ranked 32nd in the world, secured his fifth consecutive Crucible appearance by defeating Gao Yang 10-4 in the final round of qualifying last week. His first-round match is scheduled for Wednesday against Si Jiahui of China, a 2023 World Championship semi-finalist, with the winner advancing to face world number one Judd Trump in the last 16. Vafaei has spoken openly about the difficulty of focusing on his sport amid the war in Iran, which began at the end of February. “It’s been very hard, very, very hard. My family are safe,” he said. “I’m fighting as well for my country, for my family and I’m trying my best and will give it my all.” He added that winning matches in Sheffield could provide a lift to people in Iran: “If I do well, if they can see me – of course some of them can see me – it will be a proud moment.” The Iranian player has previously reached the last 16 of the World Championship in 2023 and 2025. He won his first ranking title at the 2022 Snooker Shoot Out, defeating Mark Williams 1-0 (71-0) in the final. Vafaei made his Crucible debut in 2022, losing 4-10 to Judd Trump in the first round. His highest world ranking to date is 15th, achieved in October 2023. As of 6 April 2026, he holds the 32nd position in the world rankings and has compiled 163 century breaks as of 21 April 2026. Vafaei’s season was disrupted by an injury that kept him out for two or three months, after which he struggled to regain form despite completing an intensive physiotherapy programme. He previously beat Barry Hawkins in the first round at the Crucible in 2025 before losing 13-10 to Mark Williams in the second round. As Iran’s sole representative at snooker’s World Championship, Vafaei continues to balance elite competition with personal concerns for his family and nation, describing the situation as incredibly stressful while remaining committed to representing his country on the global stage.
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