Will viewers, advertisers be game for pickleball?

OVER THE YEARS, ATHLETES HAVE COME FROM THE GRASSROOTS, BUT THE URBAN RICH PLAY TO STAY FIT AND SOCIALIZE

- Shuchi Bansal

Tiger Shroff plays it. So does Aryan Khan. Homemakers in Ahmedabad play it, as do CEOs in Mumbai. Even the Bigg Boss contestants pick up the paddle in their free time on the sets of the reality TV show, reinforcing the rising popularity of pickleball, the racquet sport that blends facets of table tennis, badminton and tennis.

Note the speed at which pickleball courts are sprouting. Several elite private clubs are making space for pickleball courts. Affluent homes in smaller towns, typically constructed on larger land parcels, are including pickleball courts on their premises. Five-star hospitality chains are adding them in their hotels and real-estate developers are offering pickleball facilities in their high-end residential projects.

"In the US, pickleball zoomed 3-4 years ago. In India, its moment in the sun has come post-pandemic with people from south Delhi and south Mumbai to families in Nagpur and Indore, playing it," said sports marketing expert Indranil Das Blah.