With cricket ruling the roost and badminton being a household name, India seldom sees a new sport break into the radar of the masses. Pickleball is the newcomer.
Pickleball is a mix of badminton (the court size), tennis (the net), and table tennis (the paddle). The sport, which is rapid and easy to play, is spreading like wildfire in urban India. It is no longer only an obscure American leisure that can be found at EGA Sports but now is turning into a culture of passionate players and dedicated courts. Then there must be something about this weirdly named game that attracts everyone— from highly trained athletes to occasional players— to become addicted to it?
The Perfect Blend of Accessibility and Intensity
Pickleball’s brilliant idea is to create a game that is very accessible to newbies. With one strong paddle, a plastic ball that resembles a wiffle ball, and a court roughly the size of a badminton court, it is accessible right away. On the contrary to tennis, which can be physically demanding and technically complex from the very beginning, Pickleball is known to be very easy to learn within a single session.
The game’s accessibility makes it an ideal one for players of different ages and fitness levels. On the other hand, one should not underestimate the sophistication of the game. The play requires exceptional planning, very fast reactions, and accurate, gentle and soft-play of the type ‘dink shot’ on the non-volley area (the ‘kitchen’) used at or near the net. The game is mainly popular due to its relaxed form of play and at the same time competitive nature. It is a game in which an 18-year-old athlete can be tactically outwitted by a 60-year-old player.
The Social Sports Phenomenon
Today people want comfortable, yet at the same time, active social, experiences, and Pickleball is just the thing. Most of the time, it is played as doubles, thus, it is social by nature. The fact that the court is smaller makes the players stay close to each other and thus, they can talk, interact, and sometimes laugh very much.
Places such as EGA Sports that offer sports and lifestyle solutions are aware of this demand and they are actively placing Pickleball apps in a position where they are highly accessible alongside well-established options like Cricket and Badminton. This is a perfect way for a group of friends and even strangers to quickly select their slot, play together, and thus, build new communities around paddle and the plastic ball. Fast, tight rallies of play and the standard social interaction surrounding the game make it the perfect moment to relax after a hard day and at the same time catch up with friends during the weekend.
A Sport for the Modern Infrastructure
Pickleball is a facility owner’s as well as a platform like EGA Sports’ infrastructure dream too. The space of a tennis court can be changed in a manner that allows the placing of two to four Pickleball courts thus making the space fully utilized. Such an efficiency factor is of vital importance in the case of space-limited urban areas located all over India.
By providing the facility to book a Pickleball game easily and in proximity to the pitch where you want to play your Cricket match, EGA Sports is going straight to the heart of the urban fitness scene in India; a scene that is going to be quick, convenient, and based on multi-use sports facilities.
If that is what you are after, then it is high time you were on your way to the closest court to pick up a paddle and have your fun with the next sporting phenomenon packed with instant thrills and infinite strategic depth. The pickleball revolution is here.