The desi origin of an international sport

As unbelievable as it may sound, the globally played sport of snooker does have its origins in India. In Jabalpur to be specific.

There might be no explicit written records saying snooker was invented in Jabalpur but there are stories that prove this fact. It is considered that Col. Sir Neville Chamberlain conceived the game in the British Army Officer's Mess in Jubbulpore, now Jabalpur, in 1875. The game was developed from a combination of life pool and pyramid pool.

A young officer once told him that first year cadets were called snookers for being inexperienced. During a game, when some officer missed a pot, Sir Chamberlain called him 'snooker' for his inexperience, eventually giving the game its name.