The craze for pickleball
1 year, 7 months ago

The craze for pickleball

Live Mint  

The first thing that caught Shubhada Varadkar’s trained ear was the sound of the perforated polymer ball striking against the paddle. “You feel like you are wanted in sport, where usually once you are 35-40 you are out.” A hybrid of tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball is mainly played outdoor and looks a lot like tennis, but on a court whose dimensions resemble that of a doubles badminton court, and with a paddle much like table tennis. “There are so many housewives, senior citizens who have never played a sport before, who are picking up pickleball,” he says. It’s more of hand skills, unlike tennis, where the court is bigger and you need to be athletic.” Pickleball coaching started at PTKS two years ago with nine students; that number is now over 100. “It’s like tennis w no learning curve, movement, spin or speed,” former world No.1 Andy Roddick tweeted about pickleball in September.

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History of this topic

What is pickleball and why is it popular in India’s urban hubs like Mumbai?
1 day, 12 hours ago

What is pickleball and why is it popular in India’s urban hubs like Mumbai?

Al Jazeera  

Invented as a back-yard children’s game in the US, pickleball has rapidly become a global sport with India’s space-challenged metropolises leading the expansion. “The low barrier to entry makes it very easy for anyone to love the sport,” said Chirag Shrivastav, co-founder of Elev8, a sports company that arranges pickleball gatherings. Yashodhan Nakhare, a former national-level junior tennis player, has …

World Pickleball League: Gaurav Natekar confident of revolutionary inaugural season
4 days, 12 hours ago

World Pickleball League: Gaurav Natekar confident of revolutionary inaugural season

India Today  

Pickleball, one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide, is poised to make a significant splash in India with the inaugural edition of the World Pickleball League. The WPBL, co-founded by former Indian tennis stars Gaurav Natekar and Arati Ponnappa Natekar, promises a competitive and inclusive spectacle while tapping into pickleball's growing community appeal. For Gaurav Natekar, a seven-time national tennis champion …

What the Pickleball World Rankings DUPR India League, launched by Andre Agassi and Rohan Bopanna in Mumbai, is all about
1 week, 2 days ago

What the Pickleball World Rankings DUPR India League, launched by Andre Agassi and Rohan Bopanna in Mumbai, is all about

Firstpost  

The newly-launched PWR DUPR India League, which is expected to take place in early 2025 in Mumbai, is expected to boost pickleball’s growth even further in a country where even football, the world’s most popular sport, has struggled to compete with cricket. Eight-time Grand Slam champion and former ATP world No 1 Andre Agassi and Indian tennis icon Rohan Bopanna …

Pickleball association approaches sports ministry for NSF status
1 month ago

Pickleball association approaches sports ministry for NSF status

The Hindu  

The governing body for pickleball has approached the sports ministry for recognition as a National Sports Federation following the successful hosting of the inaugural World Championship here this month, said All India Pickleball Association chief Arvind Prabhoo on Monday. Prabhoo said the All India Pickleball Association had submitted the required documents for getting recognition as an NSF to the ministry …

Pickleball association approaches sports ministry for NSF status
1 month ago

Pickleball association approaches sports ministry for NSF status

Deccan Chronicle  

Mumbai: The governing body for pickleball has approached the sports ministry for recognition as a National Sports Federation following the successful hosting of the inaugural World Championship here this month, said All India Pickleball Association chief Arvind Prabhoo on Monday.The World Pickleball Championship was held here from November 12-17 with around 650 players from countries like Australia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Poland, …

World Pickleball Championship: How a fledgling sport is scaling new heights
1 month ago

World Pickleball Championship: How a fledgling sport is scaling new heights

Hindustan Times  

The iconic Cricket Club of India in Mumbai, and its hallowed tennis courts where legends have set foot and celebrated Davis Cup tales scripted, was transformed. “It’s like a proper circuit,” said Isha Lakhani, India’s former professional tennis player who was ranked in the world’s top 25 in juniors a decade ago and took up pickleball in 2022. “Next year, …

ITC Foods, AIPA ink 5-year deal to popularise pickleball in India
1 month, 1 week ago

ITC Foods, AIPA ink 5-year deal to popularise pickleball in India

Live Mint  

ITC Foods has entered into a five-year partnership with the All India Pickleball Association to promote pickleball in India. From grassroots programs to college tournaments, we’re excited to bring the sport closer to young athletes and sports enthusiasts across the country," said Suresh Chand, VP and head of Marketing - Snacks, Noodles, and Pasta, ITC Foods. “With Bingo!’s vibrant brand …

All India Pickleball Association partners with Bingo! before World Pickleball Championship India leg
1 month, 1 week ago

All India Pickleball Association partners with Bingo! before World Pickleball Championship India leg

The Hindu  

Indian snack brank Bingo has penned a five-year partnership with the All India Pickleball Association to promote the sport in India. The first major competition after the deal will be the India leg of the World Pickleball Championship, set to be played in Mumbai from November 12 to 17. With Bingo!’s extensive reach and vibrant brand presence, this partnership aspires …

Armaan Bhatia's Triple Threat at India Masters Pickleball Championship
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Armaan Bhatia's Triple Threat at India Masters Pickleball Championship

Live Mint  

Armaan Bhatia aims for a historic treble at the India Masters Pickleball Championship. He and his partner Roos Van Reek will compete in the mixed doubles final, where they will face the tandem George Wall and Danni Townsend. Bhatia is the only contestant in the $50,000 event to compete in three finals on Sunday, and he is hoping for a …

India joins global Pickleball, Padel boom as sports surpass tennis' growth
3 months, 1 week ago

India joins global Pickleball, Padel boom as sports surpass tennis' growth

Firstpost  

Pickleball and padel, fast-growing racket sports, have surged in popularity globally. All of Mumbai’s prominent clubs such as Juhu Gymkhana, Khar Gymkhana, Cricket Club of India, Bombay Gymkhana, Willingdon Gym have pickleball courts now. The most troubling aspect for tennis is that pickleball’s rise has often come at the expense of thousands of tennis courts encroached upon or even replaced …

Tennis legend Andre Agassi set to visit India to flag off pickleball tour – India TV
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Tennis legend Andre Agassi set to visit India to flag off pickleball tour – India TV

India TV News  

Tennis legend and eight-time Grand Slam winner Andre Agassi is set to visit India to flag off the PWR DUPR Indian Tour & League, a grand pickleball tournament. Ahead of the PWR DUPR Indian Tour & League, the PWR DUPR India Masters will take place in New Delhi from 24th to 27th October 2024. "We are absolutely thrilled to welcome …

Paving the way of maximising Pickleball's potential in India
1 year, 4 months ago

Paving the way of maximising Pickleball's potential in India

Hindustan Times  

Cornerstone Sport, a renowned sports management and talent representation agency, has proudly unveiled its collaboration with Global Sports to proudly present the Monsoon Pickleball Championship in the vibrant city of Mumbai, India. Having triumphantly organized two resounding championships earlier in 2023, namely the Indian Open in Goa boasting participation from over 240 players, and the esteemed Global Sports Pickleball Championship …

Let’s play pickleball: Why this game is growing in popularity in Chennai
2 years, 5 months ago

Let’s play pickleball: Why this game is growing in popularity in Chennai

The Hindu  

It's a question that K Mohit Kumar gets often. Even as he skilfully chops the ball on a windy Saturday morning at the recently-held South India Pickleball Premier League at Hotfut SPR Sports in Perambur, Mohit answers questions from curious onlookers. "Now, I hear it so often," he says, "A lot of players book centers through us to play pickleball; …

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