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In popular culture, it is common to see people lunging on a Billiards Table in scenes depicting a club, bar or a five star hotel. Our own Bollywood is no exception to this. The game has thus etched on to the psyche of the people.
Cue sports, especially Billiards and Snookers is gaining ground among the Indian youth. This is in part due to these depictions in the movies, but most recently, due to the success of Indian players at the world stage. From an elitist muse, both game is now spreading even to the hinterland.
Let us know the origins of the game, how it came to India and what are the future prospects for the sport in the country.
Origin of the Game:
Billiards has its origins in United Kingdom and its colonies, especially in Australia. Whereas, snooker has a distinctly Indian origin. While stationed in India, an army officer named Sir Neville Chamberlain experimented on his Billiards table and invented snookers.
Rules and Setup:
The rules for both games are different but they can both be played on the same billiards table. In billiards the players have to hit the red ball into the pockets with the cue balls (white and yellow). This has to be done in a set number of strikes.
In snooker, there is one cue ball and 22 coloured balls. All the balls have to be potted, that is sent to the pocket in a sequence. Both the games can be played by individual opponents or by teams.
Elite Nature:
For best part of the history, billiards was played by the British and Indian royalty. It continued to be an elitist game played at high-end clubs and hotels in the country by the high net worth individuals.
The game gradually shed its elitist nature and became accessible to the upper middle class of the society through various game clubs. But, still it was confined to metropolitan areas. Only in recent times, the game is getting propagated into the interiors of the country, thanks to the successful performances by Indian players at the world stage.
Future Prospects in India:
Pankaj Advani has become a household name in the country. His astonishing performances and ability to win world championships at will led many in the country to see billiards in a serious light. Until then, the game was played as a casual or leisure activity. People started playing the game professionally and many training facilities have been established.
Also, the Indian audience is getting more exposure to the game. The promotional activities of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) and World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) are pushing the game to be accessible for all segments of the society.
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