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The pickleball revolution is coming to India

ByRutvick Mehta
May 05, 2023 08:03 PM IST

It has been the fastest growing sport in the US for three years in a row and is starting to find some love in India as well.

The famous McEnroe meltdown had surfaced again. At the call of "fault" by the umpire, John McEnroe threw his equipment on the court, yelled repeatedly walking backwards and stood on the side of the court, head plunged, for seconds together.

India, in fact, has witnessed various pickleball tournaments over the years.(Pickleball Association of India) PREMIUM
India, in fact, has witnessed various pickleball tournaments over the years.(Pickleball Association of India)

Except this time, the equipment was a paddle, the court a lot smaller and the "fault" for attempting a volley from near the net.

The American tennis legend, a 17-time Grand Slam winner now aged 64, was competing in the inaugural Pickleball Slam last month alongside Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Michael Chang who all played singles and doubles matches in Hollywood, Florida.

The $1 million made-for-TV event was another shot in the expanding arm of a sport that is rapidly climbing the popularity charts in the US, and, although at a slower pace, to other pockets of the world including India.

Pickleball is an amalgamation of the top racquet sports, mixing elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis that can be picked up by people of all ages.

Bill Gates plays it. So does Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew Perry and the Kardashians. Some of the most high-profile global athletes — from LeBron James to Kevin Durant and Kim Clijsters to Tom Brady — own teams in the Major League Pickleball.

That's because pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the US. It has been so for three years now. According to a 2022 report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), pickleball had more than 4.8 million players nationwide in 2021. That figure nearly doubled to 8.9 million last year, marking a participation rise of "85.7% year-over-year", according to the SFIA's 2023 report published in February.

Easy to learn

The continued surge in the game’s attraction stems from its relative ease of learning and convenience of play (see details in graphic). While a standard pickleball court size is less than half of that of a tennis court, it can be played on any indoor or outdoor hard surface; be it your building terrace or garage. It is also inexpensive. Grab a few paddles, plastic balls with holes, set up a net and you're good to go.

Compared to tennis or badminton, pickleball is a lot less technical and taxing on the body. The lighter perforated plastic balls are easier to hit and move slower through the air, while the smaller court ensures lesser ground to cover. The serve — tennis’ most technically and physically demanding weapon — must be underarm here (sorry, Roddick). There’s also a non-volley zone seven feet either side of the net that helps build rallies.

“This sport is largely non-technological, non-technical, highly adaptable, easy to learn and, most importantly, presents less risk of injuries," Sunil Valavalkar, who founded the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) in 2008, said. “Apart from professional players, this sport also caters to a large non-athletic section of society. For them, pickleball has come at the right time.”

Steady global growth

And it is steadily spreading, not just in the US. Valavalkar's estimate puts the number of pickleball players in India at over 7,000. England too has similar figures, where its pickleball federation is aiming for 25,000 members by 2025, according to the Guardian.

The International Federation of Pickleball (IFP), formed in 2010, currently has 80 member countries, a “360% increase in member countries since 2019” according to its website. That includes associations from Samoa, Rwanda, Palestine, UAE, Russia, New Zealand and Bangladesh. The IFP, which outlines one of its goals as pickleball being “recognised as an Olympic sport", organises an annual World Cup of pickleball since 2017 called The Bainbridge Cup. Last year, it was held in Mumbai with over 400 picklers — as pickleball players are called — from 11 different countries taking part.

Potential in India

India, in fact, has witnessed various pickleball tournaments over the years, be it by AIPA at the national and state level or by private entities (a Global Sports Pickleball Championship is currently ongoing in Mumbai). Every year from 2013, except the pandemic-hampered 2020, the association has organised Nationals across categories and in cities of Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Panipat, Jaipur and Dehradun. This month, the AIPA will hold a national ranking tournament in Goa.

“Almost every year after the first, we've had about 350 or more entries for the nationals," Valavalkar said.

Two of the country's top picklers, Aditya Ruhela and Tejas Mahajan, will be sent to the UK to participate in the 2023 English Open scheduled in August. India had multiple medal winners in singles and doubles at the Asia Pickleball Open in Phuket earlier this year.

Valavalkar, though, believes pickleball’s true potential in India goes beyond the professional confines and lies among the masses. “As much as it is growing in the US, for me, this sport is made for India and Indians,” Valavalkar, who first played pickleball in Canada, said. “In the US and Canada, people have multiple options in terms of sports. In India, that is limited, due to multiple factors including space. It is where pickleball can come in, and it is why it has huge potential in India.”

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Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.

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