Hamim and Halim Miah are knocking on the professional game’s door, but they could do with some big Brummie generosity to get them over the line

With a clutch of trophies and championship titles, talented brothers Hamim and Halim are on the cusp of making it on to the professional snooker circuit. The boys’ father Hosoun, who is also a decent player, first bought his sons a mini table when they were just toddlers and kept upgrading to larger versions as they grew.

Hosoun also made the brothers a stool when they were small, so they could reach full-sized club tables and he used to follow them around moving the stool as they played. Now, having beaten some of the best players in the world, Hamim and Halim are working towards their ultimate goal of turning professional.

Initially just a hobby, the boys loved the game immediately and when they were nine and 10-years-old, Hosoun built a snooker room and began coaching them and entering tournaments. They were, and still are, very competitive with one another which probably pushes them to be better. As teenagers, things got more serious and the boys started winning regularly and taking home trophies. It became clear that this could be more than a hobby for both players.

INTENSE TRAINING

Now semi-professional, Hamim who trains at a snooker academy in Sheffield recently beat four-time world champion John Higgins in an exhibition match and has achieved a maximum 147 break. Training at the academy is intense, playing eight hours a day, and costly. Halim isn’t at the academy yet, so fits training around full-time work, but his immediate aim is to move to the academy and gain a place in the top ranks of the sport.

The cost associated with the academy and competing in the sport generally is prohibitive which is why Hosoun is on a fund-raising drive to enable the boys to continue and for Halim to join his brother in Sheffield. He explains: “Simply attending tournaments and gaining ranking points requires time and expense for the boys to travel and stay away from home. Clothing and equipment also see the costs mounting. A typical season costs in excess of £12,000 to allow competition at all significant events.”

FUTURE GOALS

He adds: “We are struggling to keep supporting Hamim with his living expenses and Halim also has aspirations to get a place at the academy. We want to enable them to take that last stride to becoming fully professional snooker players. They are both knocking on the door and are highly rated by the sport’s governing body, but we need help to keep them moving forwards.” With an investment of upwards of £200,000 already in the boys’ careers, Hosoun is hoping that through sponsorship and a JustGiving page, they can raise the money needed to make it.

Both brothers are national age group champions and represent England in tournaments and hope to go on to have careers like their heroes which is realistic if they can stick with it. For Hamim, that hero is Ronnie O’Sullivan while Halim’s is Judd Trump and when asked about ultimate ambitions, the boys are in agreement, like their heroes they want to: “Become professional, make a living and be crowned world champion!”