Paddlesport Pickleball, a rage globally, is picking up pace in India. It has a league of its own called the World Pickleball League and now the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) in partnership with digital sports platform KheloMore Sports is investing to launch more pickleball courts in the country.
AIPA and KheloMore have announced an investment of Rs 5 crore to construct AIPA Affiliated 100 state-of-the-art pickleball courts nationwide in two years.
"The collaboration with KheloMore is a significant milestone for the grassroots development of pickleball in tier 2 and tier 3 cities in India. With this substantial investment, we aim to build world-class facilities and nurture a vibrant community of pickleball players across the nation. This partnership will help us achieve one of our long-term goals of having 1 crore plus active players within 5 years," said the president of the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) Arvind Prabhoo.
KheloMore, a platform founded by ex–India cricketer Jatin Paranjape will complement the opening of pickleball courts with an online booking system, real-time updates on court availability, and a community network for pickleball enthusiasts. This integration is designed to enhance player engagement and facilitate seamless participation in the sport across India, the platform said.
“We are excited to collaborate with AIPA to make pickleball more accessible and popular across India. AIPA is to pickleball what BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is for Indian cricket, we are sure this partnership will help develop the game on a very large scale in India. This investment aligns with our vision of promoting a healthy and active lifestyle through sports," said Paranjape.
Both organisations - KheloMore and AIPA - are building more pickleball courts to not only enhance infrastructure but also to promote grassroots development of the sport. By organising training programs and tournaments, the partnership seeks to identify and nurture emerging talents.
“Pickleball is a sport tailor-made for India and it will encourage more Indians to play sport, develop an active lifestyle, and connect socially through pickleball. Our collaboration with AIPA marks a significant milestone in our mission to democratize sports access in India. Through this partnership, we aim not only to build state-of-the-art pickleball infrastructure but also to cultivate a vibrant community of players across the nation," said Ujwal Deole, Founding Member and COO (chief operating officer) of KheloMore.
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