Warwick restaurateur hopes to pocket enough to fund sons' snooker dreams

Hosoun Miah, who has run Warwick Spice Indian restaurant in Smith Street for 23 years, is looking to raise £50,000 to help fund costly snooker academy training for his sons Hamim and Halim.

The brothers, aged 21 and 20 from Small Heath in Birmingham, are rising stars on the British and international snooker circuits with a host of championship titles and trophies under their belts.

Hamim also qualified as a WPBSA snooker coach last year in schools and colleges.

But ambitions of making it on the professional stage could be in the balance unless their parents, who have already invested more than £200,000 in developing their careers, can pocket enough sponsorship to support the siblings’ snooker careers.

Hosoun explained: “I first gave them a small snooker table when they were just two and three years old and they never looked back.

"Then as teenagers it all became very serious and being able to compete against one another helped bring them on.

"Now they are both flying, regularly beating ex-professional players with years of experience.”

Hamim comprehensively beat four-times world champion John Higgins in an exhibition match recently and just this month achieved the maximum 147 break.

He is currently enrolled in a snooker academy in Sheffield, but both brothers are working to break through into the top rankings required for entering professional competitions.

Hosoun added: “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 costs mounting.

"A typical season costs in excess of £12,000 to allow competition at all significant events.

“We are struggling to keep supporting Hamim with his living expenses and Halim also has aspirations to get a place at the academy, and 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.”

A self-confessed snooker fanatic himself, Hosoun said: “The whole family is mad about snooker and I too was a great player in my day.

"I have lots of tournament trophies to my name but couldn’t make it to professional level because I didn’t have the financial backing – but I want to fulfil my dream through my sons.

“They both have immense talent and experience and are very close to becoming professionals and I’d hate for financial constraints to get in the way of those dreams.

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/michael-rigby-2 or to enquire about sponsorship email: [email protected]

Hamim Hussain said: “Having the extra support could potentially take my brother and I to that next level we’re striving for which is to turn professional and be among the world’s best snooker players.

"Thank you so much to anyone who can help make our dream a reality.”

Snooker is also the theme of a charity night at Warwick Spice on March 14, where guests can dine with snooker legend and six-times World Champion Steve Davis OBE.

The event will be raising money for Warwick charity Molly Ollys.

For more information go to: https://www.warwickspice.co.uk/