31 July,2026 09:16 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronan Carvalho
A Mumbai Knights player engages in a new-age drill at Wings Sports Centre, Bandra. Pic/Atul Kamble
Sport by its very essence has a sense of coolness attached to it. It's no surprise then that kids often look up to athletes, because why wouldn't you want to make a career by dazzling millions with your skill and also go down in the annals of history, right?
But in today's tech-dominated age, where outdoor sports struggles to compete for attention with online games, social media distractions and the like, one bunch of Mumbaikars are going the distance to make sure sport, specifically football, identifies with the youth and retains its charm - Mumbai Knights football club.
Coach and club owner Preetam Mahadik along with his girls have made it a point to evolve with time, not only with their new-age training drills to break the monotony, but also with their picnics, beach days, house parties and other activities to ensure everyone's having fun and also sharpening their skills with the football.
"I keep an eye on a few coaches on social media to see what are some cool drills that I can incorporate at Mumbai Knights. Earlier, we used to have these old-school training methods like stretching, jogging 10 rounds around the field, sprints etc. but I now focus on ball work to make things interesting. We do stuff like rondos, footvolley, juggling, etc," Mahadik told mid-day.
Striker Mahi Virdi, 17, a Mahim resident, who plays for the U-19 and senior team, mentioned another innovative drill. "Before we start an intra-squad match, instead of doing a coin toss, we take a one-lob shot into the goal to decide which side will kick-off the game."
Off-field activities are equally important to make sure the girls bond well, with the aim of making them a cohesive unit on the pitch.
"We have a specific beach day two or three times a month, where the girls don't train, but just play other sports. We also plan picnics - the most recent one was a one-day trip to Karjat in May. The girls also get together for house parties too. I believe the happier the girls are to come to the ground, the more they will express themselves on the field and emerge successful," explained Mahadik.
Skipper of the U-15 team, Breach Candy resident Prisha Patel, 14, says the club's relaxed atmosphere takes off the pressure associated with competitive sport. "When the atmosphere is so chill, it makes learning enjoyable. We are not scared of making mistakes since we won't be scolded. Mumbai Knights is like family. Everyone knows everyone. We recently organised a massive house party to watch the FIFA World Cup final together," said Patel.
The sentiment is also shared by senior team player Nikita Jude, 20. "We are a team that hangs out together off the pitch as much as we train on it. It helps during a match to pre-empt a pass or anticipate a run that a teammate is about to make. All this helps build our team's chemistry," said Kharghar resident Jude.
Mumbai Knights's off-field fun has yielded some serious on-field results.
In the last one year, they won the MFA Sub-junior (U-13) girls league and the MFA Senior league, while their junior team (U-15) finished runners-up. These girls are clearly in red hot form by playing it cool.
