Mumbai Club Revokes Jemimah Rodrigues’ Membership Over Father’s Christian Meetings

Mumbai, October 31, 2025 — The women’s cricket star Jemimah Rodrigues has had her honorary membership revoked by the prestigious Khar Gymkhana in West Mumbai, following allegations that her father, Ivan Rodrigues, used club premises to host congregations linked to Christian-conversion activities — a move the club says violated its constitution. 

According to club officials, Ivan Rodrigues allegedly booked the club’s banquet hall on multiple occasions between March 2023 and November 2024 for events tied to the group Brother Manuel Ministries, which were described as religious meetings. The club’s Rule 4A prohibits any form of religious activity on its premises. 

During the Annual General Meeting held on 20 October, club members unanimously passed a resolution revoking Jemimah Rodrigues’s three-year honorary membership, citing misuse of her membership privileges and financial arrears related to event bookings. 

The move has sparked public debate, intersecting matters of club governance, personal faith, and the role of a sports institution in upholding its non-religious charter. Khar Gymkhana’s president, while acknowledging the decision, also described the allegations as potentially “politically motivated” in light of forthcoming committee elections. 

Rodrigues, who remains unaffected in her professional cricket career, became the first female cricketer to receive the club’s honorary membership in March 2023. Her removal highlights the complexity of how personal, institutional and religious freedoms interact in India’s social and sporting domains.

By Catholic Connect Reporter