SDAT to set up three discounted pickleball courts
Pickleball is a paddle sport played typically by four people.
Players bounce a lightweight plastic ball over a 34-inch-high net. What makes this an emerging urban fitness trend is that it is easy to learn, say players.
Meghanath Reddy, member-secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), said there is a court in Nehru Stadium and they plan to expand to more core areas.
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"More people are playing it now among all age groups, and we want to boost community engagement," he said, adding that the pickleball courts would not have any coaching immediately, but eventually, they will look to hire coaches based on response.
Each court will cost about 12 lakh with fencing, nets, and lighting.
The arena will have washrooms and drinking water. The courts are likely to come up in core areas in Chetpet, Nungambakkam, and Velachery near the SDAT complexes.
Khiztar Hussain, who owns Pickleball Task on Anna Salai, said mostly middle-aged people come to play daily.
"The courts require no maintenance and the rules too are simple. People come together as a community for leisure," he said.
"You just need to play it for an hour or two. It is easy to get the hang of it," says Prasanna B, a businessman.
What was earlier a casual game played among friends has turned into a community sport where players organise friendly matches and find each other through apps such as Turf Town.
The recent MGM Tamil Nadu Pickleball tournament featured over 250 participants, said Gopi Ram, a participant. "There were players from other districts like Coimbatore, Salem, and Ooty," he said.
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