Bandra, The Queen of Suburbs, has everything to offer from busy streets to calm seaside promenades, from high rise towers reaching for the skies to exquisite Portuguese style bungalows. This quite but resplendent suburb is also home to Hockey. Bandra breathes hockey, loves it, cherishes and has adopted hockey into its cultural activity. Most tournaments in the Mumbai are held in Bandra, it has produced most international players from Mumbai. Keeping this passion running hot in the veins of Bandra and Mumbai is a club established to promote sports and fitness known as “United Bandra Sports Club” also called United Bandra. Established in 2014 by Imran Khan, Abdul Kadir Shaikh and Saad Patanwala who themselves are well-known hockey players and have represented in many Open, University, State and National level tournaments.
The club has been thriving and reaching milestones after milestones to promote hockey and other sports. In Fall of 2014, United Bandra debuted the local sports scene competing in the Wenden Caterers Bandra Hockey Tournament and winning the 1st place which was followed by a 1st position win in 2014 Celebrate Bandra Hockey Tournament also. In 2015 United Bandra again won the 2015 Wenden Caterers Bandra Hockey Tournament, it competed in all the local tournaments and displayed marvellous quality of hockey. Needless to say, United Bandra has made a special place in the hearts of sports enthusiast and hockey lovers in Bandra and around the city as well. An appreciable number of enthusiasts are always seen attending and cheering for the games United Bandra participates in.
In 2018 United Bandra competed in the Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd.’s League in the 2nd Division and was right away promoted to the 1st Division for its champion performance. This year United Bandra participated in 2018/19 Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd.’s League and reached the Final’s beating well-established teams like Reserve Bank of India, Guru Nanak Hockey Academy, Hockey Astrengugn and Greater Mumbai Police which consisted of players who have represented India on International Level. Eventually, the team came runners’ up and was promoted to Senior Division Hockey. This by far is one of the rarest events where a team has risen so fast, this is one of the greatest achievements of the club. This itself explains the quality of hockey United Bandra has to offer. “As a hockey player, I must replenish the dying soul of Indian hockey and to this, I give monumental importance, I love this game by the whole of my heart” say’s Abdul Kadir.
The United Bandra hockey team consist of mostly working-class players but to add the strength are players as young as 15 years old and college students. There is no age barrier for sports. All one needs is the right motivation and determination to play. The aim is to promote good sportsmen and help them excel in sports and fitness. Some players who’ve started with united Bandra are now playing the Super League Division of Hockey which is the highest level in the country and are participated by players who represent India on an international platform. The sports club is itself has players who are Nationally Certified Fitness Trainers and Coaches of state-level teams. This explains the crude potential for the club to promote sports fitness and healthy living. Soon the club is going to start its football team and will organize sports and fitness camps for children and train children in athletics.
