The first National Snooker Championship in India was held in 1939 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), and it marked a significant milestone in Indian snooker history. This tournament is considered the beginning of formal, competitive snooker in the country.
Year and Location: The championship took place in 1939, with the city of Calcutta as the venue.
Winner: P.K. Deb won the inaugural National Snooker Championship, becoming the first-ever champion of this prestigious event.
P.K. Deb was a prominent player in Indian snooker during the early years of the sport in the country. While not as widely remembered today as other players from later generations, Deb’s victory in 1939 is considered a landmark achievement for Indian snooker.
Foundation of Indian Snooker: The 1939 championship set the stage for the development of snooker as a competitive sport in India. Although it was still a new and emerging sport in India, the tournament inspired a generation of players and raised the profile of cue sports in the country.
Calcutta (Kolkata): Calcutta, which was the cultural and intellectual hub of British India, played a central role in introducing and popularizing snooker in the country.
The 1939 event helped lay the groundwork for future tournaments and for the establishment of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) in later years. Though snooker would remain a niche sport in India for many decades, this first national championship was crucial in its eventual growth into a popular and competitive sport in the country.
