Shokat Ali (born 4 March 1970) is an English snooker player of Pakistani descent, who represents Pakistan in international tournaments. Ali turned professional in 1991, but his best performance in professional competition came ten years later in the 2001 Thailand Masters where he reached the quarter-finals, beating Ronnie O'Sullivan en route. He first gained notice when he defeated Jimmy White to reach the last 16 of the 1998 Grand Prix, and also enjoyed a run of form in 1999.
He has career earnings of over £240,000 and has a high break of 139. In 1998 Ali became the first man to win a Gold Medal for cue sports in world competition which he achieved at the Asian Games.
In 2005 his cue was stolen from his car, and he suffered a deterioration of results as he struggled to find another cue he could show his best form using. He dropped off the game's Main professtional tour in 2007, but showed signs of a return to form in 2008, winning an event on the secondary PIOS Tour.
Ali is co-owner, with fellow player Stuart Pettman, of a snooker club in Preston.
Famous quotes containing the word ali:
“That was always the difference between Muhammad Ali and the rest of us. He came, he saw, and if he didn’t entirely conquer—he came as close as anybody we are likely to see in the lifetime of this doomed generation.”
—Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939)