About Us

The Marine Sports started by Bruno Braganza  in 1946 as sports dealer at Marine Lines and sold sports items to the clubs, gymkhanas, teams and of course individuals. It was the first sports shop on Marine Line station (old) on the East. It started at Kavarana Building, today’s Anandilal Podar Marg, Marine Lines, just next to the Parsee Fire Temple. 

The competition in the sports trade even exited at that time and the tendency at that time was to check prices at several shops before buying any item, so once the customer went further towards Metro, never returned. While, at Marine Lines, Bruno sold his sports goods to clubs, gymkhana and company teams and companies had their team in every sport.

Bruno was very fond of reading imported rules books from England, and catered to athletic officials, football referees and cricket umpires. With this competition in the sports trade at Marine Lines and Dhobi Talao was as it is today. Bruno thought it was better to deal with books, as the class of customers was better. Being a sub-tenant Bruno lost the premises and moved to various premises at Dadar, Mumbai and finally in 1956 to the present premises. Bruno used publicize his business by setting up bookshop at cricket matches, athletic meets, chess, bridge tournaments and at sports seminars and at various stadium in the country. At that time he developed a mail-order business.  Marine Sports was also advertised through Sports & Pastime, Sportsweek and other sports magazines in the country. At that time we used to imports sports books and magazines, included Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, Playfair Cricket Annual, Cricketers, Wisden and Playfair Cricket Monthles. We also took up distribution of Indian publication and was handling Indian Cricket Field Annual by Dicky Ratnagar.

In 1972, Theo joined his father, coming out of an Engineering education, went to do a publishing course first at Mumbai and then in England. In 1983 went into publishing and excelled further into book publishing, distribution, export and mail order business. Expanded further but retained the bookshop that was there from 1956.

Today Marine Sports are among the only three specialized sports booksellers in the world and the oldest among them. With Amazon and Flipkart and their own online business, the world is within reach and reach out to all cricket playing counties.

They also buy secondhand books, complete collections at times and market rare and out-of-print titles.

While Theo was in helm of this business, a customer dropped-in and asked if we had anything expensive in cricket, the most expensive book at that time was the 10 volumes Famous Cricketers Series from England which was going for Rs.4000/-. Unfortunately the recipient was not fond of reading, so the customer asked if we had anything else. We had a miniature bat signed by Sunil Gavaskar and we told the customer will a miniature bat signed by Sunil Gavaskar will do. The customer was thrilled as it was expensive (3500/-) with framing and details of Sunil Gavaskar. This is how we got into the business of memorabilia and market signed items like cricket miniature bats, T-shirts and caps of various countries, association, tournaments. Photographs autographed by players, etc.

While we continued to go for matches and tournaments with our books, we started going for umpiring seminars and courses organized by the Board. We discovered there is a score to produce and market items useful to umpiring, today we produce and market – umpiring counter, gauges and other accessories. Added hats, clothing for umpiring also light-metre, speed gun and walkie-talkie useful to the cricket officials. We also market complete kit for umpires, scorers, match referees, even groundmen.

Today we not only market in India, but throughout the world. And we are among the only three in the world.