Wilson Jones Biography - Birth date, Achievements, Career, Family, Awards

Wilson Jones was born on 02 May 1922 in Pune, Maharashtra. He was very fond of playing marbles in his childhood days and played this game very efficiently. Along with this, he used to see his uncle playing billiards, but due to his young age he was not allowed to go to the billiard room and that is why he used to see his uncle through the window.

In 2003, Jones died of a heart attack.

He received his early education from Bishop's High School and St. Vincent's High School. He received the LISO Scientific Diploma in the year 1986, he decided to register in the Master course of Geological Sciences with specialization in Geophysics Palermo University. He then gained experience in popularizing astronomy on TV after receiving his master's degree in geological sciences. In 1996 he started his first PhD at Lancaster University (UK) under the supervision of Professor Lionel Wilson. In 1997, due to lack of funds, he changed his registration to part-time at Lancaster University and returned to Palermo to be near his family and continue his studies from there.

Wilson Jones first joined the war service in the year 1939 in his professional career. Subsequently, from 1947 to 1950, Jones served as a security officer in the Bombay Mazagon Docks. And then he took a job in ""House of Visanji"" and continued working there for another long period. In 1989, he retired as the Personal Assistant (PA) of the Chairman of Vissan Ji. Visan Ji himself was very fond of playing billiards. And because of which Jones often and easily got the opportunity to visit the billiards tables kept in the luxurious bungalow on Vesan ji's Nepean Sea Road. Wilson Jones rapidly gained skill in the game in 1950 by T.A. The first national title win was by defeating Selvaraj. And the following year too, he had the same opponent in which Jones defeated Daubra and won the championship the following year. In 1953, Jones defeated Chandra Hirji to win the national championship. After this, Chandra Hirji remained the main rival of Jones until 1958. Thus, between 1950 and 1966, Jones was a national champion in billiards twelve times. He started playing snooker in 1948 and he won the national championship of snooker for the first time in India in the same year in 1948. Thus he became the former winner of billiards in snooker.

Jones won the Snooker Championship in 1952, 1954, 1958 and 1960 (four times). He won the state championship of billiards 8 times and the state championship of snooker six times. Wilson Jones made his first attempt globally at the 1951 World Amateur Billiards Championship in Calcutta, but he was the last player this year. The following year, he went to London to participate in the world competition, but this time also luck did not support him and he could not win. In 1953, Wilson Jones finished fourth in the international game.

The happy moment in his life came when in 1958 Jones won the ""World Amateur Billiards Championship"" held at the Great Eastern Hotel in Calcutta to win the award for being the first Indian player to win the award. The following year he finished third in the World Championships in England, but he was satisfied that he had an excellent record of 598 points.

Wilson Jones was the national champion of billiards 12 times. He first won the championship in 1950. He was the national champion of snooker 5 times. He has won the Maharashtra State Billiards Championship 8 times. Wilson Jones won the state snooker championship six times. Wilson Jones won the ""World Amateur Billiards Championship"" in 1958. He was awarded the ""Arjuna Award"" in 1962. Wilson Jones was awarded the Padma Shri in 1965. In 1990, he was awarded the 'Maharashtra Gaurav' award of the Government of Maharashtra. In 1996, Jones was awarded the ""Dronacharya Award"".