Star India batter Jemimah Rodrigues’ Gymkhana membership cancelled due to father's religious activities
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Oct 22, 2024, 10:25 AM ISTJemimah Rodrigues' honorary membership at Khar Gymkhana was canceled following allegations of her father's religious activities on the club's premises, prompting member protests.
In a surprising turn of events, Jemimah Rodrigues, the star batter of the Indian women's cricket team, has had her three-year honorary membership at the Khar Gymkhana in Mumbai revoked. This decision follows allegations that her father, Ivan Rodrigues, conducted religious activities on the club's premises, which prompted objections from other members.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the club officials felt compelled to act after members raised concerns about Ivan Rodrigues's activities, which were purportedly aimed at converting individuals to his religious organization, Brother Manuel Ministries. The club's annual general body meeting held on October 20, 2024, resulted in the cancellation of Jemimah's membership, which had been awarded to her in 2023.
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Khar Gymkhana President Vivek Devnani confirmed the revocation, stating, “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 Jemimah Rodrigues was revoked pursuant to a resolution passed by the members who attended the general meeting.”
Members of the managing committee revealed that Ivan Rodrigues utilized the club’s presidential hall for approximately 18 months, hosting around 35 events associated with his organization. Committee member Shiv Malhotra stated, “We all know what was happening there,” and highlighted the nature of the events, which included music and large screens. He emphasized that Khar Gymkhana's constitution explicitly prohibits any religious activities under Rule 4A.
Former Khar Gymkhana president Nitin Gadekar recounted witnessing one of these events, describing a dark room filled with trance music and a speaker proclaiming, “He is coming to save us.” Gadekar expressed shock at the activities taking place within the club and stated that the decision to cancel Jemimah’s membership was reached after protests from concerned members.
Jemimah Rodrigues has made significant contributions to Indian cricket, having represented the nation in three Tests, 30 ODIs, and 104 T20Is, accumulating 235, 710, and 2,142 runs, respectively. She was recently part of India’s T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE, where the team faced an early exit from the group stages.
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