Padel in India

Padel in India
CountryIndia
Governing bodyIndian Padel Federation
National team(s)India

Padel is a rapidly growing sport in India, with increasing popularity and infrastructure development across the country.

From the first court in Bangalore in 2017, India had 100 padel courts in 2024 and several padel clubs have sprung up across major metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune.[1] The popularity is causing waiting lists for booking courts.[2]

The sport is administered by the Indian Padel Federation which is affiliated to the International Padel Federation. The federation had organised seven national ranking events as of 2023.[3] Indian badminton legend Pullela Gopichand joined the IPF in 2023.[4] The federation is working towards official recognition by the Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).[5]

Since padel is an expensive sport and India is a price-sensitive territory, stakeholders are working to bring down the costs of the sport.[6]

The sport is also being played in Chandigarh.[7]

Notable Players

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Nikhil Mohindra became the first ambassador of Padel India in 2024, playing a crucial role in promoting the sport.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Shah, Sukanya A. (19 June 2024). "Padel is a smash hit in India". Vogue India. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Padel craze sparks waitlists for courts, Pickleball booms with ₹1 crore prize". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  3. ^ Nichols, Ben (6 April 2023). "State of the Game: Padel in India". The Padel Paper. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  4. ^ Subrahmanyam, V. V. (7 June 2023). "Popularity of padel is growing, says badminton coach Gopichand on joining Indian Padel Federation". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  5. ^ "The Rise of Padel: A New Wave in India's Sports Scene". Alfit. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  6. ^ Ananth, Venkat. "Inside Padel's India push". theplaybook.thesignal.co.
  7. ^ "Chandigarh gets a new game called Padel". The Indian Express. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Nikhil Mohindra becomes the first ambassador of Padel India". Padel Alto. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
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