Bonding with cricket

Jamshedpur was the winner and Nagpur the runner-up among the five teams at the 27th edition of the Jiji Irani Challenge Cup Cricket Tournament played in Nagpur from November 1 to 5, 2013. "Under the leadership and guidance of Shiraz Gimi, president of the Nagpur Parsi Gymkhana, the tournament was a huge success. Jamshedpur looked to be the best side in the tournament this time around, winning all of their matches. The home team (Nagpur) had a strong unit as all their players were locally available,” states Jamsheed Hormusjee of Secunderabad, the team that went into the five-day event as defending champions. The tournament is played each year by rotation in one of the five cities of Nagpur, Jamshedpur, Secunderabad, Calcutta and Surat and is a tribute to one of the great lovers of cricket Jiji Irani, father of Dr Jamshed Irani, former managing director of Tata Steel and ex director of Tata Sons. "Yes, the competition is very fierce. The teams are more or less balanced. There are more younger people playing compared to earlier years and one does get to spot talent amongst youngsters like, for example, teenager Jehan Eduljee of Nagpur who was awarded the Shireen Hormusjee Trophy for Most Promising Youngster,” says Gimi.

(From left) Shiraz Gimi and Peshotan Mehta, Aspi Bapuna and Noomi Mehta

"This is the sixth time I have been adjudged Man of the Series and I want many more. I have a great passion for this sport and I still play with much interest and dedication,” 39-year-old Homiyar Dumasia of Jamshedpur told Parsiana on the e-mail. Working in Tata Hitachi in the supply chain management department for the last 10 years, Dumasia keeps himself fit by going to the gym every day and playing badminton on a regular basis. "This is the tournament we all wait for as players gather from different cities and we have a lot of fun on the field and off it too as the evening functions are very entertaining. Many of our players don’t stay in Jamshedpur but only come at the time of the Tournament,” he says. Dumasia is also the captain of his company’s cricket team and takes part in the Jharkhand state league matches in Jamshedpur.
"I have been playing in the Tournament for the past 25 years or so and it has been a blast!” declares Calcutta’s Noomi Mehta, chairman and managing director of the Selvel One Group, who was adjudged Veteran of the Series. "The number (of Zoroastrians) in Calcutta has declined but the enthusiasm and fervor remain the same or perhaps has increased. A number of our players who are no longer in Calcutta come especially for this tournament, flying in from Singapore, Dubai and even London. We rarely have a problem fielding a team. Of course the traditional Parsi hospitality, camaraderie and lavish bhonas (meals) are as much of a draw as the cricket!” The Calcutta Parsee Club, he adds, is the hub of community activities and the place where various games are taught and played since 1908! "The Club still fields teams in the hockey, football and cricket leagues. In hockey we are in the first division, while in cricket we are in the second division. We were just promoted in the football league last year. We have taken a few non-Parsi players due to a dwindling population but ensure that all Parsis get a chance to play if not in the league matches, which are held primarily on weekdays, then in special tournaments organized on weekends and holidays. Our five-a-side invitation football tournament is extremely popular and we host around 50 teams playing under floodlights for a month or so in March/April,” Mehta informs us. "Unfortunately, for the Jiji Irani Cricket Tournament, for some reason the younger, or should I say the youngest generation hasn’t really taken up this game. I doubt if there are even a handful of talented players under 18 years of age taking part in the Tournament in all the teams combined.”

Winning Jamshedpur team

Nagpur's organizing group

The 2013 edition of the Tournament was inaugurated by Dr Murad Lala, who is an oncologist at the B. D. Hinduja Hospital, Bombay and the first Parsi and possibly Indian doctor to scale Mt Everest. Aspi Bapuna, president, Shri Nagpur and Kamthi Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman and patron of the Nagpur Parsi Gymkhana, gave away the prizes. The late Eruch Pandole Shield for Man of the Series was won by Dumasia, while Hormusjee received the Framroze Lakdawala Trophy for Batsman of the Series. Nagpur’s Burzin Mehta was the Best Bowler, while Danush Doongaji (most sixes) and Yohann Doongaji (fastest 50) also did Nagpur proud. Yim Dotivala and Veer Bagli of Jamshedpur received prizes as the Best Wicketkeeper and Youngest Player of the Tournament respectively. Rayzad Bulsara of Calcutta received a special award for outstanding performance. "The Nagpur Parsi Gymkhana and its members put up a stellar performance this year to host the Parsi pentangular and ensured every little detail was attended to, right from accommodation and catering to ground facilities, travel and entertainment. Of special mention must be the contribution of the Irani family, Dr Jamshed, Daisy, Diana and Rustom Hormusjee who continue to support the Tournament year after year,” states a report from the organizers. The organizing chairman of the event was 88-year-old Peshotan Mehta who was honored for his services to the Nagpur Parsi Gymkhana for over 60 years. "He is the pillar of our Gymkhana,” commends Gimi.
The Nagpur Zarthosti Anjuman has recently given the Gymkhana a piece of land near the aramgah for cricket pitches and practice. "The entire infrastructure is not in place yet, but is slowly being done. Cricket is a major activity using quite a bit of the Gymkhana’s budget,” states Gimi, adding that the cosmopolitan club tournament called the Guzder League is also popular in Nagpur. Indoor games like badminton, table tennis, carom, chess, draughts, darts, etc are well patronized by Gymkhana members, while their annual sports includes volleyball, throw ball and archery competitions.
"I keenly look forward to playing in Jamshedpur which will host the next edition of the Jiji Irani Tournament. I love almost everything about this annual event and cherish the friendships and memories it has given me,” says Noomi Mehta.