The Global Sports Pickleball League is rapidly establishing itself as a significant platform for the sport’s growth in India. With competitive action on court and strong backing off it, the league has drawn the attention of team owners who believe pickleball is poised for a major rise in the country.
Speaking exclusively with The Free Press Journal, Yash Desai, owner of the Jaipur Stallions; Rithika Ramakrishna & Arjun Narendran, owner of the Coimbatore Super Smashers; and Dhruv Mehta & Rohan Khemka, owner of the Kolkata Kingz, shared their experiences, insights on the sport’s future, and messages for fans.
Excerpts...
Yash Desai (Team Owner- Jaipur Stallions)
How would you describe your experience as franchise owner?
You know, Global Sports and the whole management team have done a phenomenal job. The experience has been great. There are a lot of people here; they've done a great job. It's been awesome.
Do you see strong growth potential for Pickleball in India?
The sport of pickleball is growing. I think I read somewhere that it grew by 300% last year. So I think we're all in good hands when it comes to pickleball.
What kind of fan atmosphere are you witnessing during the matches?
I think it's been great. I think we have probably one of the highest turnouts.
Any words for fans supporting your team?
Go Stallions. So thank you to all the fans, friends and family,
Rithika Ramakrishna & Arjun Narendran (Team Owners- Coimbatore Super Smashers)
How would you describe your experience as franchise owner?
It's been amazing. It's actually our first year, unlike a few of the other owners, so we're having a blast.
Do you see strong growth potential for Pickleball in India?
I think it's going to be the 2nd largest sport in India very soon. It's going to take a couple of years, but I think it's going to be the 2nd largest sport. So I think there is a lot of potential. So that's the only reason why we got into it.
What kind of fan atmosphere are you witnessing during the matches?
It's been amazing. Surprisingly, everyone wants to be in. So it's kind of unexpected to have a lot of love coming, so I'm really grateful, and thank you for all the love and support to all the fans.
Any words for fans supporting your team?
I mean, we've always had really good support, so I would like to thank a lot of people for coming in today. So I'd like to thank them back in Coimbatore. We have a lot of people, you know; they're watching, following us, messaging us continuously. So I think we have a pretty good fan base, so we're really happy about it, and thank you, everybody.
Dhruv Mehta & Rohan Khemka (Team Owners- Kolkata Kingz)
How would you describe your experience as franchise owner?
The overall experience has been great with Global Sports. There are quality players from all around the world. It's really nice to see such intense pickleball action up front. So it's been a great experience overall.
Do you see strong growth potential for Pickleball in India?
I absolutely think that pickleball has massive potential. That's one of the reasons why we invested in the team. Also, you know, we're not only looking at 2-3 years down the line; we're looking at 10, 15, or 20 years down the line, and that's when it could really expand and we could actually see some great value.
What kind of fan atmosphere are you witnessing during the matches?
The atmosphere has been fantastic. It's ecstatic, you know. I've come with 10 of my friends, so it's great, you know; just seeing the pump around is fantastic.
Any words for fans supporting your team?
Thank you for all of the support, and we hope to keep making you proud.
