The park is where the play is: Here's how Shivaji Park’s clubs are fighting to keep its sporting spirit alive

Still, around its edges, clubs and communities persist. They continue to train youth, are open for adults to join as well, and are fighting to keep the park’s sporting spirit active. Here’s a look at where you can pick up a sport.

SPOG Volleyball
Volleyball is alive on the ground near the Vyayam Mandir, called the SPOG Volleyball Court. The club does not have a contact number, but if you visit the court at 7 am, you can meet the coach and team and sign up to train with them. 

Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Swimming Pool
While one does need a membership for access to the pool, students can get a guest pass with a letter from their school. The MGMO is a BMC pool and offers classes by different freelancers. Freelance coach Deepak Rao offers aqua training for toddlers and kids that gets them accustomed to being in water and pick up basics before advancing. Meet him at MGMO between 6 am and 9 pm. 

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Champion Badminton Academy
For indoor speed and shuttle action, visit the Champion Badminton Academy in Shivaji Park. Sitting inside the Bhartiya Sanchar Nigam building, this academy is a few steps away from the park in Dhuru Wadi. Registrations for youth training are open; court fees and coaching timings vary. But you can check the online booking and reach out for slot availability.
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CALL: 86523 66785

Swatantryaveer Savarkar Academies
Next to the old Mayor’s Bungalow, at the Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak, you will find a host of activities for sports, fitness, and dance. Among them are the Archery Academy and its partner, the Air Rifle Academy, which run early-morning sessions from 7 am. Precise schedule details are available only at the time of enquiry.
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CALL: 24455578 / 24465877

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Phoenix Martial Arts Academy
At the park’s outer periphery, Phoenix Martial Arts Academy offers training in karate, judo and other combat disciplines. The academy targets children and adults, helping them benefit from small-group classes even as the main field remains patchy. The academy is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and on Fridays and Saturdays, so ensure you are calling them for further enquiry on the right day. 
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CALL: 93230 22223

Champions of Shivaji Park 

Home of KFC
The north side of the park is a muddy stretch taken up by football clubs that train here, rain or shine. The most popular among them is the Kenkre Football Club, which was accredited with a 3-Star Rating by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in 2025.

Kabaddi-Kabaddi
The game’s first formal rules were drafted in 1921. And, the Maharashtra State Kabaddi Association, founded in 1954  — which made its home in Shivaji Park — became central to its growth. It was led by figures like Shankarrao Salvi, who helped take the sport global and later co-founded the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India in 1972.

Mallakhamb master
Master trainer Uday Deshpande began his own training in Shivaji Park at the age of three. His efforts at popularising the sport resulted in the first-ever mallakhamb world championship to be hosted at the Vyayam Mandir in 2019.