Sri Lanka’s only world champion M. J. M. Lafir remembered 2022

Sri Lanka’s first World title winner M.J.M. Lafir is being remembered on his 41st death anniversary, he is the man won the first ever World title for our country, that was the prestigious trophy in the World Amateur Billiards Championship in 1973 in Bombay in a round robin contest against Indian Satish Mohan.

Lafir also scored the highest break of 859, in 49 minutes and 47 seconds, an achievement without parallel in the annals of sports in Sri Lanka. It was the first World title in any field for this country. It was truly a fine performance, at a time when scant respect was paid for sports.

MJM’ made all this in a very short period. He was a master of the green table. At an age of 12, Lafir mastered the sport, through his father S. L. M. Junaid. His father was a domestic snooker player who has played in friendly domestic tournaments and it inspired Lafir to take up the sport. He initially learnt to play billiards on his family dining table very often with his father using a broomstick as a cue and marbles as cue balls. He joined the Moors Islamic Cultural Home (MICH) in 1947 and played friendly tournaments. He also took part in Sri Lankan National Billiards Championships and won his first national snooker championship in 1948. He then dominated the Sri Lanka National Snooker Championship from 1952 to 1973, winning 16 successive tournaments. He also then participated in the Indian Snooker Championship and won it on seven occasions (1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1974–75 and 1976). He managed to defeat Indian national champion Chandra Hirjee in the 1956 and 1957 Indian Snooker Championship finals.

He went on to win the National Snooker Championship seventeen times, and the Billiards Championship 16 times in a short spell. He was also the All Indian Snooker and Billiards Champion.

In 1973 – November-December he overcame all odds, defeating strong contenders of the world cue table. His excellent performance and display crowned him the World Billiard Champion. It was his attacking nature and his trade mark cuing that won him the World Title. It is a victory that lingers in the memory of every Sri Lankan cueist. He was offered many financial incentives, including property and cars, but he remained a true Sri Lankan, turning down all offers.

M.J.M. Lafir will be remembered as a legend in green blaze, tantalizing opponents with his fine moves and achieving performance where others failed. MJM Lafir’S – name will live in the memory of all billiard fans as he played for so long. No other cueist dominated the game as M.J.M. Lafir did in the sport. He retained the title for twenty four years between 1949 and 1973, annexed the National Billiards title sixteen times and the National Snooker title on seven occasions.

He beat Indian stalwarts as Wilson Jones in 1961 and Arvin Savur in 1974 and 1975. He crowned all these achievements by winning the World Amateur Billiard Championship in `1973 in the month of November – December. M.J.M. Lafir was born on 27th of May 1929 at Messenger Street and died on April 26th 1981. After his death, the Colombo Municipal Council re-named Messenger Street, as M.J.M. Lafir Mawatha, that was a tribute to him from the late Frouse Saheed and some of the Billiards and Snooker Association members.

His club MICH conducts a top class cue tournament in his memory. Billiards has been played in Sri Lanka from almost the beginning of the last century and people recognized this game with great enthusiasm and some caution. After he won the World Billiards title a date stamp was issued in his honour. The Asian Snooker championship was played for a trophy in his memory. He joined the Moors Islamic Cultural Home in 1947 and played friendly tournaments representing it. Lafir also took part in Sri Lankan National Billiards Championships and won his first national snooker championship in 1948. He then dominated the Sri Lanka National Snooker Championship from 1952 to 1973, winning 16 successive tournaments. He also then participated in the Indian Snooker Championship and won it on seven occasions (1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1974–75 and 1976). He managed to defeat Indian national champion Chandra Hirjee in the 1956 and 1957 Indian Snooker Championship finals.

He also competed at Amateur World Championships and finished third on his debut World Championships in 1963 which was held in Calcutta. He finished in fourth position in the 1966 World Amateur Snooker Championship. He also emerged as runners-up to England’s Leslie Driffield at the 1967 IBSF World Billiards Championship. He again finished in third position at the 1968 World Amateur Snooker Championship and finished fourth place in the 1971 World Amateur Championship.

MJM Lafir became the world champion in billiards in December 1973 at the World Amateur Billiards Championship by defeating Satish Mohan of India in the finals held in Mumbai. He had an outstanding unbeaten run in the 1973 tournament winning all nine matches and remained unbeaten in the tournament. He defeated Clive Everton, Michael Ferreira, Lu Demarco, Alfred Nolan, Eric Simmons, Brian Kirkness, Phil Tarrant and Paul Mifsud in the round robin and preliminary rounds to reach his second IBSF finals and went onto defeat Sathish Mohan in the final. During the tournament, in a match against New Zealand’s Eric Simmons he created a world record for highest break in a single set with 859 points It also remained as the only world championship title won by him. Lafir became the first Sri Lankan to win a billiards world championship and still remains as the only Sri Lankan to have won a billiards world championship title. This was also the first time that a Sri Lankan has won a world championship title in any form of sports competition.However he wasn’t able to defend his world title in the next World Championships in 1974 eventually being knocked out in the quarterfinals. He later served as an employee for Sri Lanka Transport Board after retiring from professional billiards.

Lafir was acknowledged by the ministers of the then government following his triumph at the 1973 World Championships. He was given a special red carpet welcom on Decembe r22 1973 at the Katunayake International Airport following his return to Sri Lanka after taking part in the competition. On December 31 1973, he was accorded a civic reception by the mayor of Colombo Municipal Council, Vincent Perera. Government of Sri Lanka recognised his achievements by issuing a national stamp with his face appearing on the front side. After his death, on his 53rd birth anniversary Messenger Street which is one of the prominent places in Sri Lanka was renamed as MJM Lafir Mawatha. The Lafir Asian Snooker tourney was introduced in 1988 in memory of him.

source : https://archives1.dailynews.lk/2022/04/27/sports/277709/sri-lanka%E2%80%99s-only-world-champion-m-j-m-lafir-remembered