Historically the club’s inception got underway when Ithna Asheri team started participating in Cricket XI of 1933. Among the pioneers were stalwarts such as Hassanali G. Versi (Captain), Abdulhussein G. Versi, Mohammedali K. Mithani (Opening baller), Hassanali K. Mithani, Gulam A. Mithani (Medium pace baller), Rajabali N. Rattansi (Opening Baller), Habib N. Rattansi, Hassanali Giga, Hassanali Gulamali (Wicket-Keeper), Gulam Abdallah Janmohammed (Spinner), Mohammedali Visram Kara (Spinner), Musa Fazal Kassam (Wicket-Keeper), Habib Sachoo, Firoz Din, Yusuf Jafferali Nurmohammed and Kassamali Karim. This team competed against Indian Sports Club, H.H Aga Khan Sports Club, Government Service Sports Club, Railway Sports Club and Dar Gymkhana in the tournaments organized by the Indian Sports Association. The team was strengthened by the inclusion of Jaffer Rahim, Akber Alloo and Hassanali Dawood from Zanzibar for important matches. The outbreak of Second World War in 1939-1945 restricted activities but the formation of its first volleyball team under the captaincy of Fidahussein Habib Remtullah Kara (FHR) revived activities of the club.
In 1952, the community’s sports enthusiasts held meeting under the shade of a mango tree at Kabrastan ground. The meeting was presided by Alhaj Abdulrasul Virjee and it officially launched the Dar es Salaam Ithna Asheris’ first ever club, Ithna Asheri Sports Club.
In 1956, the other clubs belonging to the community like Philomaths Club (table tennis), Twilight Club(badminton) and Radio Club(snooker) which all had been formed to cater for the sporting needs of the community joined hands with Ithna Asheri Sports Club to form the Ithna Asheri Union. It took under its wings the literary, nursery school, volunteering, employment as well as the sports portfolio with Bashir Rahim as its first Chairman.
There was keen interest in badminton and table tennis during the early fifties. In 1956, a table tennis tournament was held and won by Amir Datoo. Mohamed Pirbhai took the honours in 1957 and 1958. He also won the Tanganyika Open Student Championship and became its first Champion in 1958. The badminton field brought laurels and it produced three National Champions in Raza Virjee, Ahmed Ratansi and Mohamed Nurmohamed. Yusuf Somji made his mark on tennis courts.
For a decade, the period between late sixties and early seventies, the club had mixed fortunes in cricket and volleyball, its two main sporting activities. The club reigned supreme in volleyball, Ithna Asheris trademark since 1943 and they dominated the Dar es Salaam scene winning innumerable trophies. However, championship in cricket eluded Ithna Asheris.
In 1972, falling in line with the National Sports Council’s directive, Ithna Asheri Sports Club became Union Sports Club with its sporting activities centered at the Boarding House. It had two cricket pitches and a volleyball court. In 1983 a squash court was built. Presently the club consists of some 300 playing and non-playing members.
Over the years the club has produced many fine administrators who have not only managed the affairs of the club but also gained prominence in the administration of Regional and National cricket bodies. R R Jaffer, Mohamed Pirbhai, Raza Kara, Yusuf Dhalla and Ibrahim Jivraj are some members of the club who have held high offices in these associations. The club has also had its fair share of representation in the National Cricket Team.
The club is a regular participant in the Annual Tarmohamed Abdul Gani Memorial Tournament. Having successfully hosted the 1982 competition in Dar es Salaam, it again hosted the 9th TAGMT tournament in December.
Though Union Sports Club’s performance outside the country does not merit much acclaim its synonymity with cricket in the local context is similar to our leading soccer clubs of Yanga or Simba symbolizing football. Union’s biggest plus point is the tremendous spirit that it exudes. It is the team spirit that has been Union’s binding force since its inception.
The first cricket team after the war revolved around certain established players who till then had been playing for the other teams. In its very first season in 1951 under the leadership of Abdulrasul Virji it finished runners up to AK Sports Club.
Cricket continued to flourish under the captaincy of Fidahussein Habib Remtullah Kara (FHR) until his departure in 1953 for Congo. By then the team had been moulded into a fighting unit, and then FHR’s younger brother Muslim Kara carried along the good work for the first half of 1954 season until he also left the country. Finally, Pyaralibhai Merali carried the baton to the finishing line, leading it to its first league championship in 1954. The team then had mixed fortune and it was demoted to the second division in 1961, only to bounce back into the senior league in the following year.
The Zanzibar Revolution of 1964 saw the exodus of the community to the mainland where Zanzibar’s high caliber cricketers joined hands with Ithna Asheri Union and consolidated it. In 1972, participating under the new name Union Sports Club it finished runners-up. 1973 marked the glorious reign of Union when after 19 years it won the championship under the captaincy of Amir Yusuf. The championship was lost in 1974, regained in 1975 but lost again in 1976. The period since 1977 has witnessed Union’s most outstanding performance in its history. Its supremacy has been undreamt of. It has been not only winning the league every year but also dominating the knockout and other tournaments.
The first ever league championship in 1954
Championship eluded for 19 years and was regained in 1973
In the year 1972 when the club’s name changed to ‘Union Sports Club’, it operated under the auspices of the main body called Ithna Asheri Union, which has six sections: Sports, Literacy, Volunteers, Employment, Ladies section and Scouts.
The youths were mobilized to actively serve in all sections. The Ithna Asheri Union was under the patronage of Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Dar es Salaam. The volunteer section was named as the Ithna Asheri Union Volunteer Corps (IUVC) and it was actively involved in providing services to all sections of the Ithna Asheri Union. Their duties were to work jointly with Niyaz Committee, Union Sports, Kafan Dafan Committee, Husseini Madressah and in collaboration with the caretaker of the mosque and Imambargah to provide services on all occasions. In the 1960s, Amirbhai Kanji the Mukhi of Dar es Salaam Jamaat used to organize majlis in Bagamoyo in the month of Muharram. Momineen used to go from Dar es Salaam over the weekend for Majlis. After a lapse of a few years, IUVC again started organizing the Bagamoyo Majlis. Hussein Day and Miladun Nabi programmes were also initiated by the IUVC and were held every year. IUVC also provided support to Dar es Salaam Jamaat when it hosted the Africa Federation Conferences.
Dar es Salaam Jamaat Ithna Asheri Union Volunteer Corps (IUVC) -1972
Photograph courtesy of Alhaj Sadiq Abdulrasul Allidina of DSM
Click here to view more photographs of programs held by IUVC.
A Reflection:
Readers will notice from the article and photographs that some of these sportsmen and volunteers are no more with us in this transient world. Having reached their permanent abode by the Will of Allah (SWT), they are being missed by many. Some of them played a pivotal role in the community, especially in sports, social services and volunteering in various events and in organizations of events which continue to-date. May Allah (SWT) grant them maghferat and place their souls amongst His Chosen ones – Ameen. Let us remember them with Sura-e-Fateha.
Stay tuned for next article on our community key players and team photographs.
Article Source: Abdulrazak Fazal of DSM & Raza Kara of Toronto, Canada
Article prepared by: Br. Murtaza Jivraj (Kerbala)
SECRETARIAT
AFRICA FEDERATION ARCHIVES SECTION
22nd May 2020 (28th Mahe Ramadhan 1441 AH)