An old video, purportedly from 2015, member of the Indian women’s cricket team, Jemimah Rodrigues, being used by her father in an evangelical event has gone viral on the internet. The video surfaced after Jemimah’s Khar Gymkhana membership was revoked over her father’s ‘religious activities’.
In the video, a young Jemimah could be seen expressing gratitude to God while speaking to an auditorium packed with audience about scoring 25 off 37 balls in a match. As the host approaches her, she acts as if she is possessed and collapses on the ground. The video was shared by an X user who claimed both Jemimah and her father were involved with Bro Manuel Ministries, an evangelical organisation as per its description on its YouTube page.
Both Jemimah and her father were involved with Bro Manuel Ministries. This video of her is from 2015, when she was playing at junior level. Ivan Rodrigues is still a part time coach and full time evangelist 🙄 pic.twitter.com/4sIK17yveG
— v!§hπu ® (@vrraj15) October 22, 2024
Intriguingly, the YouTube page of ‘Bro Manuel Ministries’ says they have a Sunday one-day retreat twice a month at Khar Gymkhana.
and here is a screenshot of their YouTube Page which shows that these events were being held in Khar Gymkhana ✝️ pic.twitter.com/Vye3aCNO62
— v!§hπu ® (@vrraj15) October 22, 2024
The video surfaced hours after elite Khar Gymkhana terminated the playing membership of Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues after her father Ivan repeatedly booked its premises for ‘Christian conversion meetings’ using her ID.
Jemimah Rodrigues, who plays for the women’s cricket team, was the first female cricketer to be awarded the membership of the top sports club in March last year.
According to Khar Gymkhana’s managing committee member Shiv Malhotra, Ivan Rodrigues booked the sporting club’s banquet hall for ‘meetings to religious conversions.’
It was reportedly carried out between March 2023 and November 2024 at the behest of a Christian evangelical group called Brother Manuel Ministries. According to the bye-laws Rule 4A of the constitution of Khar Gymkhana, religious activities are not allowed on its premises.
