The grounds of the Gezira Sporting Club were initially carved out of the
Khedivial Botanical Gardens, and as a result acacias and gardens decorate the area. After the land had been formally leased to the
British military command in 1882, club rules were licensed and the land was divided into several recreational playing grounds. At first, the club was for the exclusive use of the
British Army. Membership was restricted to applicants elected by the committee, on the recommendation of two members, although British army
officers were automatically enrolled. There were about 750 members. Guests could visit the club whenever accompanied by those members by purchasing Day Passes for . In 1906, the club members asked the
Egyptian government for ownership, but their request was refused. Instead, they were granted a 60-year lease. The exclusive character of the club continued until after
World War II. In January 1952, the club was
nationalized and became a public club. By this point, most members of the Gezira Sporting Club were Egyptians, but the club's members were from society's elite. As a result of nationalization, the ethos and structure of the club were to be altered during the
Nasser regime. Half of its eighteen-hole
golf course were given over to a youth club built by the
Egyptian government on the club premises (making it a nine-hole course). Much of what was deemed as a traditionally
aristocratic asset was nationalized. During
Anwar Al Sadat's presidency, a new
elevated highway (the
6th October Bridge) was built over the remaining nine-hole golf course and six-furlong
racecourse causing the size of the club to further erode. Despite suffering vandalism, the Gezira Sporting Club still offers most of the sports and games practiced by its founders:
golf,
tennis,
squash,
croquet,
horse riding and
cricket. As of 2012, membership was estimated to consist of 43,000 families. ==Basketball==