KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's snooker star Lim Kok Leong has done the country proud again.
Just a month after winning the world amateur team title with Moh Keen Hoo for the second time, the 27-year-old created history yesterday by becoming the nation's first cueist to be crowned world champion in Antalya, Turkey.
Kok Leong was in his element as he routed Iran's Amir Sarkhosh 5-0 (68-63, 67-42, 78-0, 80-7, 73-54) in the final.
Kok Leong had beaten Pakistan's Babar Masih 5-3 (99-26, 109-10, 69-24, 9-70, 68-42, 32-72, 49-70, 72-1) in the semi-finals while Amir won 5-3 against Robin Hull of Finland.
Kok Leong now joined the illustrious list of world amateur champions that boasts the likes of England's Jimmy White, Stuart Bingham and Mark Allen, Thailand's James Wattana, Ireland's Ken Doherty, Scotland's Stephen Maguire and Hong Kong's Marco Fu.
Doherty and Bingham went on to win the professional World Snooker Championship.