Siblings Parheez Gimi and Ayesha Patel remember their father Shiraz Gimi’s (pictured) sportsmanship and positivity, among other things. "One of my earliest memories is of him taking all us young people in Nagpur for rounds of cricket practice on weekends…
Sketch of Shiraz Gimi by Ayesha Patel
He was a terror on the ground…but he had a heart of gold. All my friends remember his treats at Coffee House after cricket coaching sessions,” Parheez told Parsiana on March 3, 2021. President emeritus of the Nagpur Parsi Gymkhana (NPG), nurturer of sporting talent in the central Indian city, honorary secretary of the city’s Parsi Panchayat, and president of the Bapuna Group, Shiraz (June 9, 1943-February 20, 2021) expired following a brief battle with coronavirus. Shiraz and Bachi were married for 51 years. Bachi had contracted the coronavirus too, but has since recovered.
A keen Rotarian, "He never said ‘can’t do’ to anything,” stated Patel. "He always told the truth… He would tell us if you’re not truthful then your name, fortune would be absolutely worthless and people will lose respect for you… It was because of this honesty that his umpteen friends and associates relied on him blindly… We try to live up to this legacy of his,” she added. A few days after his passing, she wrote that she wants to remember him with these lines: "Let your roar of faith be so loud, you can’t hear what doubt is saying!”
Chairman of the Jiji Irani Cup Cricket tournament, the pentangular tournament played between Nagpur, Jamshedpur, Secunderabad, Calcutta and Surat, Shiraz also served as vice president of the Vidarbha Cricket Association between 2009 and 2011, "and on many sports associations including football, tennis, golf and bridge,” noted Parheez. "He also started the Bapuna Cup which is the Selection tournament for the Vidarbha cricket team,” he added. Shiraz served as managing committee member of the Nagpur Parsi Panchayat since 1985 and as honorary secretary from 2007 onwards. His responsibilities included community welfare and overseeing the maintenance of the fire temple and other assets of the body.
An alumnus of Bishop Cotton School and St Francis de Sales College, Shiraz served as branch manager with Exide Industries for Central India from 1968 to 1995 after which he joined the Bapuna Group as vice president in 1996. Family friend, industrialist and Group head Aspi Bapuna recalled Shiraz’s "sincerity… He was honest to the core…one of the best people I know… His presence is already missed in the Group.” Bapuna gave a "lot of credit” to Shiraz for helping spawn some of the finest players for the Ranji Trophy.
Khurshid Dalal, editor of bawabuzz, the magazine of the NPG told Parsiana on March 4 that she knew Shiraz "long before he became president and I joined NPG…He has taught me a lot on how to handle myself on a microphone and how to engage with an audience… A very refined man, (with) great attention to detail, very patient and very meticulous.” Dalal said she "takes great pride in being the concept creator for bawabuzz… I am grateful to him for that opportunity. And for supporting us through its issues.”
Shiraz’s father Jal was a former vice chancellor of Nagpur University and the first president of the political party, Jan Sangh, Nagpur, noted Parheez.