SPORTS BOOKSHOP WITH A DIFFERENCE IN MUMBAI, RUN BY A GOAN

Frederick Noronha

PANJIM, June 24: Sunil Gavaskar, Sanjay Manjrekar and Vinod Kambli are his regular guests. But as these greats go on to score records on the pitch, a silent Bombay-based Goan has been doing his bit to promote the game through an unusual bookshop.

Marine Sports in Dadar, central Bombay, is run by Theo Braganza, and has become a bookshop favoured by professionals and aficionados for more than four decades.

Some drop in for books. Others like Manjrekar were regulars during their playing days, when he would ask for videos of players he was likely to face.

Braganza's bookshop is "the only one of its kind in the country", commented The Sunday Observer newspaper recently. It also publishes sports books.

During this year's 1999 World Cup, the Marine Sports worked on bringing out two books, one a serious study on the event, and the other a pocket guide to the World Cup with astrological forecasts thrown in.

Cricket, agrees Braganza, sells more than other sports. "The Indian public is mainly interested in cricket. After the 1983 World Cup triumph, interest shot up and has not subsided since then," says he.

But, things have not always this way. For instance, when US chess player Bobby Fischer was at his peak, the Marine Sports sold more books on chess than cricket, Braganza said in a recent interview published in Bombay.

Because of the declining value of the rupee against the pound, cricket "bios" and memoirs from abroad are turning very expensive. "You can't get them for less than Rs 1000," says Braganza.

In 12 years, the Marine Sports has published some 65 titles. Books on coaching and laws of the game sell the "best". But sales of books on other aspects of the game have also been affected by the "invasion of television and the Internet", says Braganza.

A qualified engineer, Braganza himself publishes books to "satisfy my creative urge". Since he had always been interested in layout and design, reselling books or acting as distributor "did not give me the same kind of satisfaction", says he.

It was Theo Braganza's father Bruno who started Marine Sports. His work left behind excellent contacts, and the first book came out in 1988, which was V N Raiji's life of C.K.Nayudu.

"It sold well. Since then, we have come out with books on the cricket and football World Cups, coaching manuals, and books dealing with the laws of different games," says Braganza.

But in the 1950s and 1960s, it was possible to sell three to five thousand copies of each book. "I don't think those days will ever return," says Braganza wistfully.

"I am a cautious publisher. I try to get sponsors, or at least logos, from corporate houses. And I also choose my titles carefully. Of course, I have burnt my fingers a couple of times," he said.

Bruno Braganza, the shop's founder, loved sports and games and founded the shop at Marine Sports in 1946, where he sold only sports goods. But he was unhappy over the lack of a pricing policy on sports good.

Once he imported 12 copies of the book "Laws of Athletics" which were sold to a single individual, a sports official. So he imported more titles.

In 1956, the shop was shifted to Dadar, and confined itself to sports books. Then, the rupee-pound exchange rate was still good, and hardcover cricket books could be sold for Rs 15 or 20.

Theo joined the outlet in 1972, after working five years as an engineer. He describes his dad as a "live-wire" and a well known figure in sports circles. He got exclusive distribution rights for several publishers.

Bruno Braganza would also visit cricket centres during Test matches, set up stalls and sell books and sports magazines. "We also sold large numbers of private souvenirs brought out during the cricket season," he says.

Each February, rather than selling dead stock at a discount, Theo "gives them away to friends and sports lovers", satisfied that they will be taken care of and read. This way, he disposes nearly 150 to 200 titles each year.

Marine Sports began sports videos in 1985. After getting some cassettes for personal viewing, he duplicated and hired them out. For some years, videos outsold books. "But the boom is over now. There are too much live telecasts these days," says he.

His future plans include bringing out books on the historical aspects of cricket, and on Eden Gardens (Calcutta) and Wankhede Stadium (Bombay). Also, small 70-page books on Test cricketeers who have not been written about in the past.

"We are looking for good writers, those who have flair. Cricket reporters seldom make good writers," says he.