ON A LAZY summer afternoon in 1965, the birth of pickleball was sparked with nothing but a lowered net, plywood paddles and a plastic ball. Created by Congressman Joel Pritchard, businessman Bill Bell and their neighbor Barney McCallum as a family pastime, the game later evolved into tournaments and matches with formal rules, dedicated courts and innovative paddles. At the heart of the movement in Chennai are sports enthusiast Senthil Ram and go-getter Ranjith Mohan, Co-founder of Picklers Arena in Iyyapanthangal. They believe that pickleball is for everyone, regardless of age, skill level, or background. “Our mission is to provide a place where players of all abilities can come together, have fun and enjoy the sport,” said Ranjith.
IN FULL SWING IN TAMIL NADU
The elegance of this game lies in its simplicity. Basically, it is a lazyman’s game that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong and can be played by people from all age groups. “Last week, we had a state tournament and the youngest participant was just five years old, and the oldest was 75! That’s the spectrum of this sport; it’s a sport where agility helps, but it’s relatively easier to pick up,” pointed out Senthil. One of the major reasons to play this sport is that it can be played both intensively and for fun without any age restriction.
“This sport is getting a lot of recognition. People think that being associated with pickleball is a cool thing, and the game is reaching all across Tamil Nadu.” pointed Senthil. In terms of arenas, Iyyapanthangal had only three arenas, including Pickler’s Arena, last year. The number has jumped to sixteen in this area alone. Tournaments are on the rise and the sport has already reached state-level championship status.
In terms of the rules and regulations, the USA Pickleball Association and the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) draft the rules and release a handbook. When asked about coaching and refereeing, Senthil mentioned that any member associated with racket games can come forward, to coach and referee as well. There are some certification courses available in India which are very simple. Proper standards are being established to enable it across wider platform.
FROM GAME TO INDUSTRY
Pickleball is not a game anymore, it is an industry. The business is seeing gradual growth. When it was a casual pastime game, the economic value was quite low, but now, having reached this level, the game has become moderately expensive. Upgrades for paddles including smart technology are released every three to four weeks, slowly increasing the cost.
On an average coaching costs around Rs 4000 to Rs 6000 per month for group classes, for leisure play it comes around Rs 200 for one hour per person. Beginner paddle price comes around Rs 3000 and the tournament entry fee costs Rs 800 per person. When it comes to price money it vastly varies depending on who conducts and how big it is. It can start from Rs 4000 to even Rs 20,000. For instance, the Aguada Pickleball Sundowner, held recently at Goa’s premier Aguada Pickleball Arena, marked a significant milestone. The event was organised by Taj Fort Aguada in collaboration with Courtly and Adi Oberoi, Secretary of Goa Pickleball Association.
The tournament boasted a total prize money of Rs 127,500, distributed across various categories and the maximum prize money was Rs 30,000 for the winners. The notion behind this tournament was not only to establish pickleball, but also to develop sports tourism, brand partnership and community engagement. Beyond the game itself, pickleball fuels spending in allied sectors like sports shoes, apparel, food stalls and even quirky merchandise. Senthil quipped “I came across something called Pickle Balm, a pain relief balm specifically marketed to pickleball players!
ECONOMIC RALLY…
Pickleball is creating a lot of job opportunities at the grassroots levels, as it is recognised by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), which has recognition under the Sports Authority of India. Numerous individuals who work in the IT sector now want to get into coaching and club operations. In terms of sponsorships and affiliations, Picklers Arena has partnered with sports brands and companies like Decathlon, Specton, Garware and Marvel. They also have affiliations with restaurants like Anjappar. In terms of generating funds, Ranjith mentioned that they go for angel investors like any other startup. These angel investors would mainly be from the food industry, banks and healthcare. As Picklers Arena comes under the entrepreneur hub, they also open doors for other entrepreneurs and startups, like small cafes to put up a stall in their space.
FUTURE OF PICKLEBALL
Ranjith pointed that in terms of events and tournaments, previously they used to have only two tournaments per year, but now they have three to four tournaments per month. Money from conducting tournaments also goes into fundraising to create awareness and campaigns for the game. Recently, an association called Women’s Premier Pickleball League (WPPL) has been formed. It will have ten teams with five players per team. The association will coach, train and make the women team participate in tournaments as well. The sport’s swift growth and promising business prospects have attracted major corporates and even shopping malls like Express Avenue and Promenade to join the trend. With correct procedure and establishment, the game can be registered under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and it has the potential to compete with major sports like cricket.