Where coastlines house courts

BY TAKING PICKLEBALL TO THE SEA, RISE UP CHAMPIONSHIP FOUNDATION ENSURES THAT SPORTS IN CHENNAI CITY MEETS MUSIC AND LIFESTYLE ALTOGETHER

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HE waves usually carry with them salt, sand, and a strain of the breeze. But, along Chennai’s coastline that houses VGP Golden Beach Resort, the tide will soon carry more than just that.

The sea will flow with a whiff of competition, victory, and opportunities. On its sands, single and double play courts will rise, racquets will clash, plastic balls will bounce, and music will swell as Chennai hosts its first-ever Pickleball By The Bay anda Music Festival. A three-day celebration of entertainment, sports, and lifestyle, this event is presented by the Rise Up Championship (RUC) Foundation.

The event is claimed to be the country’s first international pickleball tournament by the sea.“Pickleball is a fast-paced, fun, and highly engaging sport. By bringing it to the beach and surrounding it with live music and food, we’re taking the sport to an entirely new level, creating an unforgettable blend of athleticism, entertainment, and lifestyle,” says Selvakumar Baalu, who once played professional tennis and is also a motorsports enthusiast.

According to Selvakumar, the founder of RUC, the objective behind the tournament — which is conceived as an “exotic carnival”, where matches run alongside sundowner parties, live bands, DJs, food, and the buzz of community — is to highlight that “sport events and entertainment go hand in hand globally. It’s a celebration and lifestyle carnival,” and secondly “to focus on sports that don’t get attention from the mainstream, whether it is media or sponsors.”