00:01Yes, it's official, India is sending the first ever national team to the Pickleball World Cup.
00:07While pickleball was being touted as an emerging sport for the last couple of years,
00:11it seems that the less intimidating and bougie tennis has finally arrived on the scene.
00:16And it's here to stay.
00:18Well, one sport has done to India what seeing is to the West.
00:22Blending, wellness, social engagement and quiet luxury.
00:26We decode the pickleball craze and make it easier for you to decide if it is your calling.
00:31For those people who say pickleball is for those who are too unathletic for tennis and too poor for golf.
00:36So let me tell you, I played tennis all my life.
00:39It was very tough on the body.
00:41But the beauty about pickleball is that you can learn it in day one if you played any racket sport.
00:46Be it table tennis, be it tennis, be it squash, anything.
00:50So I love it. This is great and the camaraderie is fantastic.
00:54We've got the MD of Spotify India, Amarjeet Batra with us.
00:57Amarjeet, how did you start your pickleball journey?
00:59I discovered this perchance in the Vasantriya Club.
01:02They opened the first court three years back.
01:04And I said, this is a good one because I used to play squash and tennis before.
01:08And those games were getting a little tough for me on my knees.
01:10So I said, let's try this game. And I think I just fell in love with it.
01:13And what do you think the difference is between pickleball versus paddle and tennis?
01:18So tennis is more technical and, you know, like you have to play on a much larger court, you know, and technique is very, very critical.
01:28Luxury brands and sporting labels are making a beeline towards pickleball curated events and merchandise.
01:35Even Bollywood is jumping on the trend from Shahid and Meera Kapoor to Alia Bhatt.
01:39For hotel owners and schools, installing a pickle coat is increasing the property's value.
01:44By 2025, reports estimate there are nearly 1.5 lakh Indians who have picked up a paddle or a pickle racket by now.
01:51While paddle is played in a closed coat, pickleball uses an open coat.
01:55It is evident that pickle and paddle are not just fads as they cement their position in the market as designated sports.
02:01As it turns out, the question is to pickle or not to pickle.
02:05Have you joined the bandwagon yet or intend to?
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