Notable Indian Cue Sports Players and International Achievements

India has a long and successful association with cue sports, especially billiards, snooker and pool. From the colonial-era origins of modern snooker to multiple world titles in recent decades, Indian cueists have remained prominent in international competition.

Historical Origins and Institutional Framework

• Snooker origins: The rules of snooker were finalised in 1875 by Sir Neville Chamberlain in Ooty (Ootacamund), India, when British officers modified billiards.
• National body: The Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) was established in Calcutta in 1926 as the governing body for cue sports in India.
• Affiliations: BSFI is affiliated with the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF), the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS) and the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS).
• Recognition: It is recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, as a National Sports Federation and is also a member of the Indian Olympic Association.

Major Cue Sports in India

Cue sports in India are generally grouped into English billiards, snooker and pool. They differ in table size, number of balls and scoring method.

Pioneering Indian Legends

• Wilson Jones: He became India’s first individual world champion in any sport by winning the World Amateur Billiards Championship in 1958. He won the title again in 1964.
• Michael Ferreira: He won three World Amateur Billiards Championship titles in 1977, 1981 and 1983.
• Michael Ferreira: He also registered a record break of 1,149 points in the National Billiards Championship in 1978.
• Geet Sethi: He won five World Professional Billiards Championships and three IBSF World Amateur Billiards Championships.
• Geet Sethi: He remains the only cueist to achieve both a maximum 147 break in competitive snooker and a 1,000-plus break in competitive billiards.

Modern Indian Champions

• Pankaj Advani: He is a 28-time world champion and won his 28th world title at the IBSF World Billiards Championship in Doha in November 2024.
• Pankaj Advani: He won the 2025 Asian Snooker Championship men’s title and the men’s snooker title at the 92nd SBA National Billiards and Snooker Championship 2025–26 in January 2026.
• Pankaj Advani: He also won the inaugural Liber Win Champions Cup in Bengaluru in February 2026 and his maiden National 9-ball pool title in Ludhiana in March 2026.
• Sourav Kothari: He defeated Pankaj Advani in an all-India final to win the IBSF World Billiards (Timed) Championship in April 2026 in Carlow, Ireland.
• Sourav Kothari: Along with his father Manoj Kothari, he forms the only father-son duo in the world to have won the IBSF World Billiards Championship.
• Ishpreet Singh Chadha: He plays on the professional World Snooker Tour and reached a career-high ranking of 58 in August 2026.
• Ishpreet Singh Chadha: He reached the semi-finals of the 2024 English Open, becoming the first Indian to reach a ranking-event semi-final since Aditya Mehta in 2013.

Women Trailblazers

• Anupama Ramachandran: She became the first Indian woman to win the IBSF World Snooker (15-red) Championship.
• Anupama Ramachandran: She defeated Hong Kong’s Ng On Yee 3–2 in Doha on 13 November 2025.
• Anupama Ramachandran: She also won the gold medal in the National Women’s Billiards Championship in Haryana in January 2026.
• Shruthi L: She won the English Open Challenge Cup in Walsall, United Kingdom, in 2025.

Key Prelims Takeaways

Exam focus: Snooker rules were formalised in Ooty in 1875 by Sir Neville Chamberlain.

• BSFI: Established in Calcutta in 1926, making it one of India’s oldest sports federations.
• First Indian world champion: Wilson Jones won the World Amateur Billiards Championship in 1958.
• Multiple titles: Michael Ferreira won three World Amateur Billiards titles.
• Record holder: Geet Sethi is the only cueist with both a 147 snooker break and a 1,000-plus billiards break.
• Modern benchmark: Pankaj Advani is India’s most decorated cueist with 28 world titles.
• Unique pairing: Manoj Kothari and Sourav Kothari are the only father-son duo to win the IBSF World Billiards Championship.
• Women’s milestone: Anupama Ramachandran became the first Indian woman to win the IBSF World Snooker (15-red) Championship.