Adventure & Wildlife Magazine - Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 | Seite 100

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
The rest of the year was an odd time for Sunil as the
number of Indian pickleball fans grew, yet he couldn’t
conduct real games for want of a hard court. This
frustration finally pushed Sunil to make the leap
and set up an association for pickleball. This was
also when he encountered his biggest resistance yet.
People ridiculed Sunil saying that forming an
association to promote a new sport was an absurd
venture, especially since cricket “reigns supreme” in
India. But never deterred, Sunil pushed onward and
turned to his 8 closest friends for support.
So where can you play Pickleball if you’re ever visiting
lovely India? Sunil says there are centers for play in:
•
Mumbai in Maharashtra
•
Jaipur in Rajasthan
•
Ranchi in Jharkhand
•
Patna in Bihar
•
Indore in Madhya Pradesh
•
Pondicherry in South India
•
Panipat in Haryana
Sunil recommends that if you’re interested in playing at
these locations, it’s best to plan sessions in advance by
contacting the local teams. If you need help doing this,
feel free to contact us at [e-mail] and
we can put you in contact with Sunil or the teams directly.
Sunil’s friends were all sports lovers and believed
in his dream, so they contributed funds despite
not having time to promote the game personally.
On April 13, 2008 the 8 believers signed a How Many Pickleball Players Are in India?
Memorandum of Association to form AIPA.
With all these locations enjoying the sport, you may
wonder how many people are playing pickleball in
It took 9 months for the government to give India. It’s difficult for Sunil to estimate since the country
them a Certificate of Incorporation. During this is so large, plus there are many people just beginning the
time there were countless questions Sunil had to game who may not consider themselves “active” players.
address, paperwork to fill out, meetings, follow-ups
and more. They were finally awarded a license to
start a voluntary NPO on December 12, 2008.
Sunil also mentioned that during his journey
toward licensing, he sent an email to Douglas Smith,
President of Pickleball Inc. To Sunil’s surprise, Doug
responded and sent several paddles and balls with
promotional material. This was a big help in boosting his
efforts and Sunil was grateful for the guidance.
Once AIPA was formally established, Sunil
approached
new
clubs
and
schools
for
demos again. On one occasion he invited a TV crew
to report on the experience, which gave Pickleball a
large boost in visibility. The launch of Sunil’s website,
www.aipa.co.in also helped spread the word.
Sunil started sending free paddles and balls to
interested parties and the game picked up in
several locations, though the process became more
streamlined over time.
Where to Play Pickleball in India
Currently Pickleball is played in 6 Indian states,
including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Pondicherry,
Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Maharashtra (Sunil’s
home state). In another three states, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh and Delhi, pickleball has a growing presence but
is not as established as in the others.
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Vol 1|Issue 5-6|Nov 16 - Jan 17