Location | Marine Drive, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
---|---|
Coordinates | 18°56′41″N72°49′25″E / 18.9448°N 72.8235°E |
Opened | 1888 |
Website | |
https://parseegymkhana.in |
Parsi Gymkhana is a gymkhana (social and sporting club) located along Marine Drive in Mumbai. It was built for sports and social activities of Parsis. [1] The gymkhana is one of the founder members of the Bombay Cricket Association [2] The club have its own cricket ground, the Parsi Gymkhana Ground, where they organise their Parsis cricket team's matches. [3]
It was the first gymkhana to be built on communal lines in Bombay. [4] Founded by Parsi cricketers, the Gymkhana fielded the Parsi XI during the Bombay Quadrangular and its successor Bombay Pentangular cricket tournaments. [5] Parsi Gymkhana was founded in 1884 [6] and was opened in 1888. [7] In 2010, Parsi Gymkhana along with other community organisations announced a project to revive interest in cricket among the community. [8]
During World War II, the government occupied the gymkhana premises as well as that of Islam Gymkhana, leading the adjacent Hindu Gymkhana to offer membership to Muslims and Parsis as an "emergency measure". [9] As the gymkhana land belongs to the collector, one of its lease conditions is that the grounds should be accessible by the general public and non-sporting activities such as weddings are allowed to be held at the ground for up to 30 days in the year. [10] During one such event in 2003, a fire caused by a leaking LPG cylinder injured 27 people. [11] In 2010, the local residents association moved in court to ban non-sporting activities at the ground, on the grounds that the general public was being denied access to it, something which the gymkhana denied. [10] Parsi Gymkhana had received special permission to hold events on 60 days during the year. In 2011, the collector restricted non-sport events to 25 days a year only on weekdays. [12] The gymkhana is also used for other events, such as the unveiling of the world's cheapest car, Tata Nano by Ratan Tata in 2009. [13]
It is one of the historic, prestigious Gymkhana of Mumbai along with Hindu Gymkhana. Parsi Gymkhana won police shield tournament in 1956 and 2021. Legendary cricketers such as Farookh Engineer and Polly Umrigar have been played for Parsees in past. In 2021, the club became first to win back-to-back trophies in three different format, that is Talim Shield T20, Police Shield triumph (Test format) and Madhav Mantri Centenary One-Day 45 overs League. [3]
Following is the list players who has played for Parsi Gymkhana : [3]
The Parsis are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of the Persian Empire to escape religious persecution and conversion to Islam. The Parsi people comprise the older of the Indian subcontinent's two Zoroastrian communities vis-à-vis the Iranis, whose ancestors migrated to British-ruled India from Qajar-era Iran. According to a 16th-century Parsi epic, Qissa-i Sanjan, Zoroastrian Persians continued to migrate to the Indian subcontinent from Greater Iran in between the 8th and 10th centuries, and ultimately settled in present-day Gujarat after being granted refuge by a local Hindu king, Jadi Rana.
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Pahlan Ratanji "Polly" Umrigar was an Indian cricketer. He played in the Indian cricket team and played first-class cricket for Bombay and Gujarat. Umrigar played mainly as a middle-order batsman but also bowled occasional medium pace and off spin. He captained India in eight Test matches from 1955 to 1958. When he retired in 1962, he had played in the most Tests (59), scored the most Test runs (3,631), and recorded the most Test centuries (12) of any Indian player. He scored the first double century by an Indian in Test cricket against New Zealand in Hyderabad. In 1998, he received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honour the Indian cricket board can bestow on a former player.
Khershedji Rustomji Meherhomji was an Indian cricketer who played as a wicket-keeper. Meherhomji toured England in 1936 and played in the Test at Manchester. He represented Parsis in Bombay Pentangular and various sides in the Ranji Trophy. His uncle Rustomji Meherhomji toured England with the 1911 All India team.
The Bombay Tournament was an annual cricket competition held in British India between 1892 and 1946. Until 1936, matches were played on either the Gymkhana Ground in Bombay or the Deccan Gymkhana Ground in Poona, and then at the Brabourne Stadium in Bombay until the tournament was terminated in 1946. The tournament was known variously as the Bombay Presidency Match, Bombay Triangular, Bombay Quadrangular, and Bombay Pentangular, depending on the number of competing teams.
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Parmananddas Jivandas Hindu Gymkhana, Primarily, historically known as Hindu Gymkhana is a gymkhana located along Marine Drive in Mumbai. It was originally started as Hindu Cricket Club in 1878. The gymkhana itself was inaugurated by then Governor of Bombay, Lord Harris on 5 May 1894. At that time it was located on Marine Lines, which was the only access as Marine Drive was yet to be reclaimed. Until 1942, membership of the gymkhana was restricted to people of Hindu religion. In 1942, when the government occupied the adjacent premises of the Islam Gymkhana and Parsi Gymkhana in Bombay during World War II, the gymkhana threw its membership open to Parsis and Muslims as well as an "emergency measure". Hindu Gymkhana was responsible for fielding the Hindu XI in the Bombay Quadrangular and its successor Bombay Pentangular cricket tournaments. The gymkhana is one of the founder members of the Bombay Cricket Association. Hindu Gymkhana organises several tournaments such as Purshottam Shield Cricket Tournament, which is the oldest tournament started in 1912 that it organises.
Islam Gymkhana, is a gymkhana located along Marine Drive in Mumbai. Land for the gymkhana was allotted by the then Governor of Bombay, Lord Harris in 1890. Until 1942, the gymkhana was the headquarters of the Bombay Cricket Association of which it is a founding member. It is the headquarters of the Maharashtra State Billiards Association.
Parsi Gymkhana Ground is a multipurpose club ground in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The ground is mainly used for organizing matches of football, cricket and other sports.
PJ Hindu Gymkhana Ground is a multi purpose club ground in Marine Drive, Mumbai, Maharashtra. The ground is mainly used for organizing matches of football, cricket and other sports.
Mehli Dinshaw Irani was an Indian cricketer, who played as a left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. Irani played in the Kanga Cricket League for over 50 years. He made one appearance for Bombay in the Ranji Trophy, and also played club cricket for Bombay University and Parsee Cyclists.