Sport is in the details

Faster Higher Stronger the motto of the Olympics finds resonance with Wagle Sports at Dhobi Talao Established in 1865 the 1500 sq ft store has stood the test of time and is one of the oldest sports shops in the country Today while the Dhobi Talao locality is dotted with 25 sports shops Wagle Sports still remains the shop of choice for many In fact in 2009 when actor Shah Rukh Khan wanted a custommade WWF wrestling ring for his home Wagle Sports was where he turned to Manohar Wagle is the fourth generation owner of Wagle Sports Pics Bipin Kokate They have also supplied and designed products for tennis champ Vijay Amritraj actor Sunny Deol former badminton player Aparna Popat Bollywood celebrities including Juhi Chawla and Saif Ali Khan and have sourced products for severalu00a0advertisements While recent renovations have forced them to shift base to another space in Dhobi Talao they hope to head back to their erstwhile location within two years Back in time Recounting Wagle Sportsrsquo journey through the years Manohar Wagle says ldquoWe were originally involved in the perfumery business My greatgrandfather Raghunath Wagle set up Wagle Sports in 1865 on the advice of a friendly British officer in those times British Naval officers were quartered in rooms opposite Crawford Market since their barracks were at Marine Lines The officer remarked how difficult it was to source sports goods from England as it would take at least six months My greatgrandfather decided to give it a shot thatrsquos how Wagle Sports took shaperdquo Kettlebells Rs 150 per kilo Wagle observes that while their initial products were imported from abroad nowadays their product mix includes locally sourced as well as cuttingedge imported products To jog the memory the store still stores antique sports memorabilia including centuriesold badminton and tennis racquets boomerangs wooden archery bows leather footballs and a pair of Jesse Owensautographed spikes Over the years Wagle Sports has sourced many products including Olympic torches catapults boomerangs surfing boards camping gear skiis and even unicycles for customers Centuryold badminton racquet Adapting to the times and the increasing competition Wagle Sports stocks fitness products as well which have been a big hit ldquoTreadmills cross trainers and cycles have been flying off the shelves The latest fitness product we stock is kettlebells which are castiron weights that resemble a kettle and are used for cardiovascular and strength training Rs 150 per kilordquo Be a sport With the Olympics around the corner they stock a range of athletic products including hammer training hurdles catapults crossbow pistols and air pistols You can shop for roller skates billiard pool tables footwear for various sports archery bows boxing gloves cricket bags baseball bats roller skates trampolin and pogo sticks Archery bows We liked their electronic dartboards Rs 400 onwards minigolf sets Rs 1500 onwards hula hoops Rs 300 onwards Roman rings used in gymnastics Rs 900 a pair as well as the chess set in soft stone Rs 1500 and the poker set that comes in a briefcase Rs 1100 Fans of action movies will love their nanchakus Rs 150 onwards while snorkelling aficionados can check out their imported gear Rs 4000 onwards If you are a fan of gully cricket their spring stumps are a must the stumps can be set up just about anywhere Rs 1200 Old wine new bottle Alongside the latest products traditional products also occupy pride of place at Wagle Sports So at their shop they stock Sal wood Mugdals an ancient weight training tool used by wrestlers and Choupad a form of chess mentioned in the Mahabharata sets as well ldquoAncient techniques are on the verge of being discarded thatrsquos why youngsters need to be made aware about them before they slip into oblivionrdquo Roman rings Rs 900 a pair Wagle who is currently the Chairman of the Maharashtra Sports and Fitness Trade Association MSAFTA has set sight on publishing a new quarterly titled Big In Sports Set for a Julyend release it will be distributed free of cost to sports goods traders Roller skates After all these years at the helm Wagle recalls that observing his father helped him learn a trick or two about the business of sport ldquoThe focus has been on anticipating a demand and stocking a huge range of highquality products So even if a customer wants ski equipment in Mumbai we stock or source it This approach has kept Wagle Sports in the public consciousness after all these yearsrdquo he concludes At Wagle Sports Gold Mohur Building next to Corporation Bank Princess Street Call 22087460 22016188 Email waglesportsgmailcom