UCLan sports expert opens India’s first multi-sport museum

7 February 2017

Professor Boria Majumdar showcases memorabilia collection compiled over two decades

A sports expert from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has opened India’s first ever all-sport museum using his own vast memorabilia collection.

UCLan Senior Research Fellow Professor Boria Majumdar has established the Fanattic Sports Museum (FSM) in Kolkata (Calcutta), which showcases collectables from cricketing legends such as Sachin Tendulkar alongside football, hockey, tennis, golf and athletics.  The National Football Museum, which is also linked to UCLan through its partnership with the University’s International Football Institute, also plans to loan several items to the Museum.

Visitors to the FSM can see around 1,000 items on display including Pele’s 1970 World Cup Jersey, Roger Federer’s signed cap and Lionel Messi’s boot.  In addition, it charts India’s cricketing history from its inception and the country’s Olympic history from the 1800s.

Professor Majumdar commented: “India has a rich sporting heritage with some of the most dedicated fans in the world and yet we didn’t have a dedicated museum for multi-sport.  It has taken me the best part of two decades to bring this collection together to preserve India’s sporting history for future generations.”

"It has taken me the best part of two decades to bring this collection together to preserve India’s sporting history for future generations."

Indian cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly joined Olympic champion Abinhav Bindra and Paralympic medallists Devendra Jhaijharia and Deepa Malik to officially open the Museum.

Professor John Hughson, the Director of the UCLan International Football Institute, commented: “We are delighted that through our partnership with the National Football Museum, the International Football Institute is able to be involved in India’s first all-sport museum.  I am currently working closely with the National Football Museum to select the items we will loan to the FSM and look forward to displaying some of our collection in this exciting new Museum.”

Professor Majumdar works as a researcher at UCLan.  He is currently investigating the impact of mega events on host cities and acts as a supervisor for postgraduate students interested in studying aspects of sport in Indian society and history.  A Rhodes scholar, Majumdar is the author of a number of much acclaimed books on Indian sport. He is an op-ed columnist with the Times of India; consulting editor, sports, for India Today Group and is also one of India's best known television analysts on sport.