MUMBAI SUBURBAN

Mallakhamb, derived from the Sanskrit words malla (wrestler) and khamb (pole), is a traditional Indian sport that blends elements of gymnastics, yoga, and wrestling. Originally developed as a training tool for wrestlers in medieval India, the sport emphasizes strength, flexibility, and balance through performances on a wooden pole or rope. Mallakhamb evolved from a specialized training method into a unique physical discipline, gaining recognition for its artistry and rigorous demands on the body. The sport holds immense value and prestige both in India’s cultural heritage and in its sport landscape.

Institutes such as the Incredible Mallkhamb and Malakhamb India have kept the sports alive in a city such as Mumbai. Incredible Mallkhamb, through nine of its Incredible Mallkhamb Fitness Centres (IFMC) sprawled across Mumbai have been training children and teenagers  in Gymnastics, Pole and Rope Mallakhamb.

Dahi Handi, traditionally a festival, has now been officially recognized as a sport by the Maharashtra government. The state plans to organize a 'Pro-Dahi Handi' competition. Additionally, the government has announced that participants, known as Govindas, will be eligible for jobs under the sports category. In the event of a Govinda losing their life, the government will provide an insurance payout of ₹10 lakh, while those who suffer partial disabilities will receive ₹5 lakh. Initially only men formed Dahi Handi teams (known as Pathaks), but recently there has been an increase in the number of Women’s teams as well.

In addition to the traditional games such as Langdi, Mallakhamb and Pakdam Pakdai a few other games are also quite popular amongst the children of the children. Recently there has been a rise in the popularity of games such as Go-Karting, Pin Ball Shooting, Virtual Reality games and Mystery rooms.

The game, as its name suggests, is a variation of traditional hide-and-seek with an added twist involving a bottle (usually a plastic one, as it's lightweight and easy to handle). The player who is "it" has the dual responsibility of finding the hidden players and protecting the bottle from being kicked.

To play, it’s recommended to have as many participants as possible to make the game more engaging and extend the playtime. Ideally, a group of 11–13 players works best. One player is chosen to be “it” and must search for everyone else who hides. The hiding time is determined by the distance at which the bottle is thrown. Once the bottle lands, the chosen player retrieves it, places it in the center of the play area, and begins searching for the hidden players while also safeguarding the bottle.

To eliminate a hidden player, the chosen one must spot them, call out “I spy [player’s name],” and simultaneously place one foot on the bottle. The game becomes even more exciting once the first hidden player is caught. The eliminated player starts providing loud commentary to distract the chosen one, adding an extra layer of strategy and fun to the game.

To prevent the chosen player from simply camping near the bottle, a rule was introduced: they cannot stay close to the bottle for more than two minutes. The real thrill begins when the chosen player is lured away from the bottle. Hidden players seize this golden opportunity to sneak in and kick the bottle, resetting the game and adding to the excitement.

Typically played with 5–6 participants forming a circle, standing at arm’s length from each other.

The game began with one player tapping the leg of the person next to them. The next player then had to use the same tapped leg to tap the leg of the person beside them, and so on, following the sequence. Maintaining balance and order was challenging, and players often found themselves tumbling to the ground. To avoid soiling their clothes, participants would usually wear shorts while playing.

A player was eliminated from the circle if they used the wrong leg, broke the sequence, or attempted to disrupt the order of play. The game continued until only two players remained, who were then declared the winners.

This game, often played on school grounds, is known as Sakhli or Chain Run (The word Sakhli means Chain in Marathi). This game is somewhat similar to tag (Pakdam Pakdai) is also fun when there are as many participants as possible. The excitement lays in the fact that the number of running players decreased with each moment, as those tapped by the chosen player joined their chain.

To officially add a running player to the sakhli chain, the chosen player has to say the word Sakhli upon tagging them. The game becomes especially thrilling in smaller spaces, as longer chains of 5–6 players becomes harder to break and maneuver. However, to tag new players and expand the chain, all its members had to stay connected at all times.

The game ends when only one player left running, marking them as the final free participant and the ultimate winner.

Candle and Foo was one of the most exciting and creative games our group came up with during our time together. The game revolved around a simple "lock and key" concept and was played with around ten players. One player was chosen as the "Candler," whose task was to turn the other players into "candles." This was done by tapping them on the shoulder and shouting "Candle!"

Once turned into candles, players had to freeze in place and mimic a candle by holding their posture upright. However, the rest of the "free" players could rescue their frozen friends by tapping the opposite shoulder and shouting "Foo!" This freed the "candles," allowing them to join the game again.

The game became even more intense as players who were candles could fall to their knees, signaling their complete defeat. Once a player fell to their knees, they were out of the round. The first person to kneel was chosen as the new Candler for the next round. The Candler won if they managed to turn all the players into candles before they could be "foo-ed" back into action.

To make things even more entertaining, children added a twist by identifying and rewarding players who skillfully managed to avoid being candled or foo-ed for the entire game. Every time we played, "Candle and Foo" became a thrilling mix of strategy, quick thinking, and lots of laughter.

Since Mumbai is an Urban hub, various types of computer games are quite famous. Though these are played at home or at cyber cafe’s one can deny the role they play as a famous and a sought after recreational activity. Games such as Need for Speed (NFS), Counter Strike, Cricket 07 are quite popular and are still played.

Mumbai is the heart of any type of Cricket-related activities The Mumbai cricket team, formerly known as the Bombay Cricket Team, is a cricket team that represents Mumbai in Indian domestic cricket. It is governed by the Mumbai Cricket Association. Its home ground is Wankhede Stadium in Churchgate. The team also plays its home matches at Bandra Kurla Complex Ground and Brabourne Stadium. The team comes under the West Zone designation. It was formerly known as the Bombay cricket team, but changed its name when the city was renamed from Bombay to Mumbai. Mumbai is the most successful team in the history of Ranji Trophy, India's premier domestic cricket competition, with 42 titles. Its most recent title was in 2023–24. It also has won 14 (and 1 shared) Irani Cups. Mumbai has produced some of the greatest Indian cricketers of all time, such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Rohit Sharma, Vijay Merchant, Polly Umrigar, and Dilip Vengsarkar.

In 1889-90, an English team managed by George Vernon and captained by Lord Hawke played against the Bombay Gymkhana and the Parsis at the Gymkhana Ground during their tour of Ceylon and India. The Parsis pulled off a famous victory, a first for an Indian team against English opposition. The Bombay Tournament, patronised by the Governor of Bombay Lord Harris, was played between the Parsis and Europeans, alternately in Bombay and Poona from 1892 to 1906. The 1892 match was the first First-class cricket match to be played in India.

In 1906, Hindus played Parsis to create the Bombay Triangular. in 1912, the Muslims of the Mohammeden Gymkhana were invited to play and create the famous Bombay Quadrangular. In 1937, a fifth team, called The Rest, was admitted to the tournament. It comprised Buddhists, Jews, and Indian Christians. In 1946 the Pentangular tournament was abandoned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India and replaced by a zonal competition.

The Ranji Trophy, in which regional teams from all over India competed, became the pre-eminent Indian cricket competition. The Quadrangular Committee, consisting of the four Gymkhanas in Bombay, met on 6 August 1928 to discuss the formation of a single governing entity for cricket in the Bombay Presidency outside Sind.

On 6 October 1928, 'The Bombay Presidency (Proper) Cricket Association' was adopted as the name of the governing body and clubs began to be enrolled as members. On 16 August 1934, the Gujarat Cricket Association and the Maharashtra Cricket Association approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India for direct affiliation, separating from The Bombay Presidency (Proper) Cricket Association. The rump organisation then adopted the name Bombay Cricket Association, with its jurisdiction limited to the 'Greater Bombay and Thana District.

In addition to this various local leagues are also played and enjoyed. Almost every college has it’s own cricket team and schools too make sure to have cricket teams that participate in various tournaments.

Lastly, the presence of Mumbai Indians, a professional T20 franchise cricket team based in Mumbai, is important. Mumbai Indians which was Founded in 2008 plays in the famous Indian Premier League (IPL) and is owned by Reliance Industries, through its 100% subsidiary Indiawin Sports. Since its establishment, the team has played home matches at the Wankhede Stadium. The team has won 5 championships till date (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020).

Football like cricket has colonial origins, Mumbai has been a center of football in India since British rule. The history of football in Mumbai includes the formation of the Bombay Football Association, the Western India Football Association, and the Mumbai Football Association. The Bombay Football Association, founded in 1902, ran a league tournament that was named after Colonel Harwood, who was the president of the association. Then in 1911 ,the Bombay Football Association merged with the Rovers Football Cup Committee to form the Western India Football Association, which hosts various district-level tournaments for men and women of various age groups.

The Mumbai football association was formed in 1983,  the MFA is the official organization for managing football in Mumbai and its suburbs. The MFA also holds a number of tournaments across various categories, a few notable one’s include the President’s Yuva Premier league and the MFA Mumbai Premier League and the MFA Harwood Premier League.

Other newer clubs such as the Mumbai Football Club which was founded in 2007 and has participated in competitions such as the I-League and the MDFA Elite League. Lastly, Mumbai City FC is a professional football club based in Mumbai. It is a part of the City Football Group. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of the Indian football league system. Mumbai City FC is one of the most successful clubs in the history of the ISL.

Golf finds its roots in the colonial era as well, the Bombay Presidency Golf Club was founded in 1842 but the sport then was only played by the British. Then in 1927 the Bombay Presidency Golf Club was built on 90 acres of reclaimed swamp land. The club was founded by a group of British businessmen who wanted to create a recreational facility for themselves and their families. The club was initially named “The New Club Ltd.” and was affiliated to the Royal Calcutta Golf Club. The club soon became popular among the elite class of Mumbai and hosted several social events and tournaments.

The club underwent several changes over the years, such as changing its name to “The Bombay Presidency Golf Club” in 1933, acquiring more land for expansion in 1950, and renovating its clubhouse in 1970. The club also faced some challenges, such as losing some of its land to the government for public projects in 1960 and 1980, and facing financial difficulties in 1990.

The club received a major makeover in 2009 when it hired Jeev Milkha Singh, India’s most successful golfer and the first Indian to play on the European Tour, to redesign and master plan the course. The new course was inaugurated by Jeev Milkha Singh himself, along with his father Milkha Singh, the legendary Indian sprinter. The new course has improved the quality and beauty of the club and has attracted more members and visitors.^[1]

Basketball also has seen a rise in popularity in recent years though it is not as famous as Cricket or Football it still is widely known and played sport. The United Basketball Alliance (UBA) league launched in 2015, was the first men’s professional basketball league in India and it comprised eight teams, one of which was Mumbai Challengers. The Challengers won their first UBA Championship in Season 4. Unfortunately the UBA league ceased in 2017 after five successful seasons.

Mumbai also has teams named after it in various sport leagues such as the U Mumba in Pro Kabbadi League, Mumbai Rockets in Premier Badminton League, Mumbai Maharathi in Pro Wrestling League, Mumbai Khiladis in Ultimate Kho-Kho, U Mumba TT in Ultimate Table Tennis and Mumbai Meteors in Prime Volleyball League.

A resident of Chembur, Sagar Ovhalkar is a Arjuna Awardee Markhamb athlete, in 2022 he became only the second player to win this award. Arjun who also has a degree in Mechanical Enginnering, he is also the winner of the three gold and two silver medals at the 2019 World Mallkhamb Championship. He started practicing at the tender age of 6 at the Jawahar Vidya Bhavan a place where he still practices everyday after his work.

A resident of Malad, Merzban Patel is a Dronacharya Award Winner Hockey coach. He has an experience of about 45 years in the hockey field and is credited with training national players such as Suraj Karkera. Merzban trains athletes at the Children’s Academy, Malad. He is fondly known as Bawa because of him being a Parsi.^[2]

Bandra Kurla Complex Ground is a cricket ground in Bandra, Maharashtra.The ground normally hosts charity matches and some local matches. It also is home to the Mumbai Cricket Association.

In 2007, Mumbai Cricket Association installed a state-of-the-art recreation center at the ground which forms part of their world-class Indoor Cricket Academy. The Club House has top-class sporting facilities ranging from an air-conditioned badminton hall with two courts - billiards and snooker hall, equipped with two imported billiards tables. Three pitches are for spin, three others for seam bowling while the seventh is a normal wicket. In 2009, India under-19s for 2010 World Cup in New Zealand also did practice with Mike Young, Australian fielding coach .The ground has also hosted women's ODI and T20I including two matches of World Cup 2013. The Bandra Kurla Complex Ground has also hosted some matches which were part of the 2017 Blind T20 World Cup.