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City Guide - Mumbai - Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sport In India, cricket is king and Mumbai thinks of itself as the capital of Indian cricket. Many legendary cricketers have hailed from the city, including Sachin Tendulkar, the present high priest of Indian batsmen. Indians are obsessed by the game and the national side has a large and devoted following. The game is played everywhere, on proper cricket grounds, in back yards and streets alike. Test Matches are played at the Wankhede Stadium (behind Marine Drive), during the international season, which runs from November to April. Cricket can also be watched on the Maidan grounds or on any of the gymkhana grounds along Marine Drive. For those interested in the history of the game a visit to the Cricket Club of India ground at the Brabourne Stadium (adjacent to the Wankhede) is worthwhile. It has an elegant 1930s Art-Deco-style pavilion and, until 1974, Test Matches were played there. Golf: Visitors may play at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club, Dr C Gidwani Road, Chembur (tel: (22) 558 0670; fax: (22) 557 2099). The club has an 18-hole course and charges green fees of Rs1200 at weekends and holidays and Rs1000 at other times. Closed Monday. Horseracing: The racing season at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Lala Lajpatrai Road, in Mahalaxmi (tel: (022) 307 1393), runs from November to April and the highlight is the Indian Derby in February. The elegant stands provide first-class viewing of the racing on the flat, oval track; entrance prices range from Rs12 to Rs200. Even when racing is not taking place, the racecourse is a popular place for people to visit - free - to walk, jog or simply take the fresh air. Riding can also be arranged. Swimming: The Breach Candy Club, 66 B Desai Road (tel: (022) 367 4381), looks out over the sea to the north of Malabar Hill. It has an enormous swimming pool - in the shape of British India - as well as a clubhouse and tennis court. It is open to members and to foreigners (on production of passport) - and costs Rs200 on weekdays, Rs300 on Saturdays and holidays and Rs500 on Sunday. A number of the hotels in the city allow visitors to use their swimming pools on payment of a charge. Tennis: The price of land in the centre of the city means that tennis courts are hard to come by, although there is one at the Breach Candy Club (see above). The best bet is the bigger luxury hotels in the suburbs, such as Resort at Marvar (tel: (022) 882 3331). |
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