Michael Ferreira nicknamed "the Bombay Tiger", is notable amateur player of English billiards from India, and a three-time Amateur World Champion. Michael Ferreira was born on October 1, 1938. Ferreira studied in St. Joseph's School, Darjeeling, where he became interested in playing billiards. He was able to sustain his interest in the game during his college days in St. Xavier's College and the Government Law College in Mumbai. He participated in the National Billiards Championship in 1960 for the first time. In 1964 he represented India in the World Amateur Billiards Championship held in New Zealand . 

In 1977 he won his first World Amateur Billiards Championship title at Christchurch, New Zealand. In the same year he won the World Open Billiards Championship title at Christchurch. He has two more World Billiard Championship titles under his belt. In 1978 he became the first amateur to break the world record of 1000 points in the billiards national championships and created a new one by scoring 1149 points. His accomplishments in the 1970s and 1980s and the many world titles he won gave a boost to billiards in India and encouraged many youngsters to take to this sport. 

Ferreira was awarded the Padma Shri award in 1981, after he had won his second world amateur title. But he refused to accept this and contended that as cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was offered the more prestigious Padma Bhushan award, he too should be awarded the same. He is the first billiards player to be awarded with the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, which was conferred on him after he won his third world amateur billiards title in 1983. He is also the recipient of the Maharashtra state government's Shiv Chhatrapati Award (1971), the Arjuna Award (1973) and the International Fair Play Committee's Letter of Congratulations (1983). He received the Dronacharya Award in 2001 for his coaching achievements in billiards and snooker.