Shashank Khaitan, Partner at Global Sports Pickleball, expressed immense excitement and optimism about the second season of the Global Sports Pickleball League while speaking exclusively to The Free Press Journal. With the Pro and Challenger Leagues underway, Khaitan highlighted how the league is steadily building momentum and drawing attention to one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
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What are your thoughts on Global Sports Pickleball League?
We're very, very excited. It's season 2 for our Pro and Challenger League for Global Sports. We had a fantastic opening ceremony where we saw all the star players in action, and we are very excited. We are really hoping, more and more people come and watch pickleball, play pickleball. This time it's happening in Mumbai at the Andheri Sports Complex. We really want people from all across Mumbai to come and experience pickleball, and also for the people who are across India and the world.
Do you see strong growth potential for Pickleball in India?
It's already growing. I mean, the number of courts that have come up in India, I mean, we are now almost close to 20,000 to 30,000 courts in India. It's going to increase much more. The kind of people playing, the number of people playing pickleball is increasing every day. So definitely there's a big, big future. In fact, the way it's growing, I would say soon enough it's going to be the number 2 sport in India behind cricket, and we're really excited that we are contributing a little bit to it.
Any message for the fans who will be watching Global Sports Pickleball League
Please come in big numbers. Please come and support some of the players. For people who have not seen pickleball, please come and experience it live. It's a fantastic game. It's a quick game. And you'll be amazed by some of the athleticism on display, and I'm really hoping you enjoy yourselves.
As the Global Sports Pickleball League moves closer to its competitive action, the ceremony marked the beginning of what organisers hope will be a new and exciting chapter in Indian sports.
