Muhammad Junaid Muhammad Lafir
| Name | Date of Birth | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Muhammad Junaid Muhammad Lafir | 27-05-1930 | Sri Lanka |
Nam e : Muhammad Junaid Muhammad Lafir
M.J.M. Lafir was born on 27th day of May, 1930 at St. Joseph's street, Grandpass to S.L.M. Juanid and Salaha Ummuna. He started playing Billiards from the age of seven. His first mentor was his own father.
While studying at Hameediah Boys English School, at New Moor Street Colombo 12, M.J.M Lafir started his Billiards and Snooker first on a quarter size table then on a half size table. Later he graduated to a full size table at Hulftsdrop in a Billiards parlour.
His fame would have been lost in the "desert air" of Hulftsdorp but for two happenings. Then he joined the MICH (Moors Islamic Cultural Home) in 1947 and played for them in their regular friendly games with other clubs and the founding of the Ceylon Amateur Billiards Association in 1948 M. J. M Lafir was much grateful to the MICH for discovering him, nurturing him, grooming him for a big billiards and to the Ceylon Amateur Billiards Association for providing the opportunity to play against visiting champions and to go overseas for international competitions.
Turning back the pages of time it was in 1973 that MJM Lafir crowned himself as world champion winning the World Amateur Billiards Championship held in Bombay beating India's Satish Mohan in the final.
So, this sport was able to produce Sri Lanka her only world champion in an individual game apart from team game cricket, which Sri Lanka won the Wills World Cup in 1996.
He also added to his crown a world record break of 859 points in one set against Erick Simons of New Zealand in the same tournament.
No other sportsman dominated the game so much as Lafir did, in the cue sport.
He reigned supreme for 24 years between 1949 to 1973, he annexed the National Billiards title of Sri Lanka 16 times and the National Snooker title on 15 separate occasions.
Not satisfied, he went across to the Indian National Snooker title won on seven occasions from 1956 to 1976, defeating some of the best Indian Stalwarts. M.J. M. Lafir's achievement was commendable to Sri Lanka at that time.
It was on 17th of April 1981, one month before his 51st birthday this great man who put Sri Lanka Sports on the World Map, breathed his last while his family members and close friends were by his bed side.
The Maestro is no more but people in Sri Lanka will ever remember him for his contribution to our soil.