Mumbai: Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) was established in the year 1893 by the Tata Athletic Shield donated by the House of Tata’s formerly known as Bombay High School Athletic Association now known as the Mumbai School Sports Association. It is 122 years old and one of the oldest association of its kind in the world. The association is famous for nurturing young talents between the age group of 8 to 16 yrs and providing them a huge platform to showcase their talents. The most celebrated like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and the former U-19 captain Prithvi Shaw and many more prominent sports personalities are the product of MSSA.
“All most 400 schools are members of our association,” says proudly MSSA General Secretary Esmero Figueiredo. There are 19 disciplines in the association which includes football, basketball, cricket, kho-kho, chess, judo, kabbadi, carrom , table tennis, swimming and many more. The schools must pay an annual membership fees which different for SSC and Municipal Schools which is Rs.2000 and CBSE, ICSE and IGSE which is Rs.5000. The MSSA has a very special event of basketball match for the U-9 boys and girls on the 20th February’2020. The U-9 players are called the cadets and the basketball game is organised after the special request by the schools. The match will be held in the MSSA ground itself where these tiny tots from different parts of Mumbai will be giving their staggering performance in the court.
Tentative Itinerary for year 2019-20
Football: Venue: St.. Xavier’s Ground, Parel; St. Francis D’Assisi, Borivili (From July 18; U-14,16)
Carrom: Venue: Dr. Antonio D’Silva, Dadar (U-16, 14, 12). Table Tennis: Venue: Dr. Antonio D’Silva, Dadar (U-16, 14, 12, 10). Chess: Venue: Not decided; October/November (U-16, 14, 12, 10).
Athletics: Venue: University Ground, Marine Lines; Nov; 21-24 (U-18, 16). Basketball: Venue: Not decided; 26-27 Nov (U-16). Kabbadi/Kho-Kho: Venue: Not decided; Dec; (U-16, 14)
- Keerthana Nambiar
