Hossein Vafaei has been put in some tough situations during his snooker career due to the political situation in his home country, and none more so than on his Masters debut this year.
The Iranian has spoken this season about how difficult it has been to concentrate on his snooker with the turmoil going on at home.
Protests against the ruling regime have been going on for months as citizens rally against decades of hardline clerical rule, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for wearing her headdress ‘inappropriately’.
He then wore a black armband during the UK Championship at the Barbican, telling the BBC of the gesture: ‘I’m not going to explain too much. My people know that I respect them, they respect me.
‘This is for my people, they know it. This is something for my people.’
It is a difficult balance to strike for Vafaei because he does not want to get too heavily involved in the political discourse, especially when it can put him in danger and at the least opportune time for his snooker.
When Iranian anti-government journalists arrived at the Masters to speak to him in January, it was a very hard spot for him to be in.
‘With politics getting involved in my life, I said I just want to play snooker. I don’t want to get involved,’ said Vafaei.
‘That was quite dangerous for me because they knew it was bad for me, they still came to interview me. That’s not nice.
‘I told them nicely, do not come here anymore because I don’t give consent to interview me. I said that to World Snooker at the Masters. I said next time I don’t want that happening again.
‘That kind of media, it was political and they wanted to make me involved in the politics and they are going to say lots of lies to the people, saying our sportsperson doesn’t want to talk to us.
‘I respect them because they talk Iranian with me, I answer their snooker question, but after that, I said I’m so sorry I have to leave.’
It is another example of the difficulties that overseas players have to deal with as they try to forge their path in snooker in the UK.
Vafaei sounds especially torn on the matter because he would love to use any political influence he has for the good of the sport, aiming to get a ranking event to Iran at some stage.
‘If I get a chance I want to make this game bigger in Iran,’ he said. ‘Hopefully one day which is not far we’re going to have a ranking event in Iran.
‘I see the sports minister of Iran, very good friend of mine, I grew up beside him. I think it’s all good news, I think he’s going to help me make that happen.’
The 28-year-old will be focussing on snooker in the coming days as he heads to World Championship qualifying and hopes to return to the Crucible after his debut last year.
It has been another good season for the Prince of Persia and he came close to heading to Sheffield as a seeded player, but is not too perturbed by facing two qualification matches.
‘Actually I don’t mind it,’ he said. ‘If I am good enough I’ll qualify and then I go and win it. I don’t mind it.
‘I have no fears of any venues, I enjoy every moment I’m playing, I just love to play snooker.’
The world number 23’s only Crucible outing so far so him lose in the first round to Judd Trump a year ago, but many believe he is a player who could have much more of an impact in Sheffield in the year to come.
Asked whether he feels ready to be a world champion at this stage, he said: ‘I’m quite a feeling player, if I’m feeling well, look after myself well, don’t punish myself then yeah, maybe.
‘I just need something to click. It’s not like, “I’m going to win the World Championship!” You see so many people say that and then they lose first round.
‘You don’t want to be like that, you have to stay as humble as you can and let your game talk to the people.’
Vafaei’s first qualifying match is against Andrew Pagett on Sunday and Monday afternoon.
MORE : Anthony McGill unfazed by World Championship qualifying return but sick of playing Shaun Murphy
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