 "File image of India batter Jemimah Rodrigues. PTI")
Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues’ membership at the Khar Gymkhana in Mumbai has been cancelled by the club due to her father’s religious activity, it was reported on Tuesday. As per a report in the Indian Express, Khar Gymkhana, which is also one of Mumbai’s oldest clubs, cancelled Jemimah Rodrigues’ membership after her father Ivan used the club premises for “religious” activities that were used to “convert” the “vulnerable”.
“The honorary three-year membership given to Ms Jemimah Rodrigues was revoked pursuant to a resolution passed by the members who attended the general meeting held on October 20, 2024,” Khar Gymkhana president Vivek Devnani told The Indian Express.
‘It’s happening right under our nose’
While explaining the reasons in detail, Khar Gymkhana managing committee member Shiv Malhotra said: “We came to know that Jemimah Rodrigues’s father was attached to an organisation called Brother Manuel Ministries. They booked the presidential hall for almost a year and a half and held 35 events. We all know what was happening there.
“We hear about conversions all over the country, but it’s happening right under our nose. There was dancing, expensive music equipment, big screens. As per Khar Gymkhana’s bye-laws Rule 4A of the constitution, Khar Gymkhana does not permit any religious activity.”
Jemimah Rodrigues or her father Ivan are yet to react to the news.
Jemimah Rodrigues became a member of Khar Gymkhana in 2023 upon an invitation.
She was recently part of the Indian women’s cricket team which exited the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup from the group stage.