Mumbai: The Khar Gymkhana ground in the western suburbs has become the latest city sports venue to face an uncertain future, with plans to construct padel courts triggering opposition from members, who say the move will effectively end cricket at the historic facility.Khar Gymkhana convened a special general body meeting on June 23 to seek members’ approval for the “development and construction” of two to four padel courts in the ground area near the existing structure, along with allied infrastructure, lighting and related sports facilities.While no final decision was taken during the meeting, members of the cricket department said the managing committee later agreed to proceed with the project, which is expected to be completed within a month.Khar Gymkhana president Gaurav Kapadia declined to comment on the matter.The proposal sparked resistance from long-time cricket members who said the ground was already too small to accommodate further reduction in playing space.Trupen Desai (68), a senior member who has played for Khar Gymkhana, said the cricket department passed a resolution opposing any temporary or permanent construction in the playing area.“If the two padel courts are built, cricket will stop altogether at the ground,” Desai said, adding that the court dimensions would extend close to the pitch, making even informal matches difficult to stage.Desai pointed to existing limitations at the venue, saying boundary distances are around 45 yards. He claimed losing an additional 30 to 40 feet would leave the club without a viable cricket field.“You need a minimum of a 60-yard boundary to stage a local cricket match. It will be so bad that even the bowler will be unable to take his run-up,” he said.The Khar Gymkhana cricketing legacy spans nearly a century. Founded as a cricket club in 1927, it has been represented in local cricket by prominent players over the decades, including Salim Durani, Wasim Jaffer and Amol Muzumdar.The club has also granted honorary memberships to current India players Hardik Pandya and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and in the past to several leading sportspersons across disciplines, including Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Mohinder Amarnath, P V Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, Harbhajan Singh and Pankaj Advani.A standard padel court measures 20 metres by 10 metres inside the play area, covering 200 square metres, with additional surrounding space typically required for run-offs, access and lighting. Cricket department members argue the footprint and positioning would make cricket operations unworkable.Desai said the ground hosts matches in Mumbai Cricket Association-affiliated tournaments and that the club conducts two official MCA competitions: the Sheth Gordhandas Cricket Shield for Suburban Clubs and the Bhagubhai Khichadia Cricket Tournament for schools. He warned these grassroots events could be affected if the courts are built.He also raised concerns about land ownership and permissions, claiming the site is a “collector’s ground” with portions belonging to the PWD and BMC, which could complicate construction. “This is a public place. Even the nearby residents use this ground to play tennis-ball cricket. Even that will stop,” he said.
