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Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
41st anniversary of The Times of India, Bengaluru: The city has embraced various evolving sports, from Pickleball To Racquetball and Kickboxing, making it a hub for both competitive and recreational a
By: When Abhinav Bindra achieved his milestone in 2008 becoming one in a billion, there was a sudden increase in the popularity of shooting sports. Until then, the sport had attracted participants through National Cadet Corps or state rifle shooting associations. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This trend was similarly seen after Neeraj Chopra made history at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which brought in interest in javelin throw. In recent years, several new sports have begun to compete with established ones, capturing attention and attracting new participants. Although these emerging sports may not yet be included in major competitions, their rapid growth suggests they could soon make their way into global or regional events. Pickleball Pickleball, originated in America, is generating significant excitement in Bengaluru. Many new sporting or recreation centres are being built with dedicated pickleball courts. These courts are the same size as a doubles badminton court, with a non-volley zone, or 'kitchen', that extends 7ft from the net on both sides. 'Currently, there are about 250 courts in the city and it is set to become 400-450 in another 30 days. Most of these (around 70%) are outdoor courts,' , president, Karnataka Pickleball Association, told TOI. 'The best part about pickleball is that anyone who has played any sport falls in love with it in under 10 minutes. That's all it takes to learn the game. The sport's popularity has surged, with over 2,000 active players joining in the past year. Curiosity drives people to come and play, and the ease of learning and enjoying pickleball keeps them coming back,' he added. 'Most players start as recreational participants, particularly those in the 25-40 age group. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now However, there's also a noticeable increase in young players in the U-13, U-15, and U-17 categories who are becoming enthusiastic about the sport. Pickleball captured the imagination of people in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic, and it has been making inroads in India over the past year,' Harsha said. The growing popularity of pickleball reflects the increasing spending power of young Indians. On average, it costs around 800 per hour to play pickleball at any of the centres in the city, and even a basic paddle is priced at around ₹3,000. However, most paddles used by players in Bengaluru cost upwards of ₹5,000. 'It's relatively more expensive to play pickleball. The world over, there is a lot of conversation going around on how to make it more accessible,' he said. Esports Esports gained popularity before Covid-19, suffered a setback during the pandemic, but is now rapidly regaining traction. The games are divided into two categories: Mobile and PC versions. 'On mobile platforms, the most popular games are PUBG and Free Fire. For PC gaming, the leading titles are Valorant and CounterStrike 2, both first-person shooting games,' said Prince Goyal, CEO of Blitz Esports, one of the city's oldest esports cafés. After a tough time during the pandemic, esports have made a significant comeback. 'There are about 10-12 major centres in the city, such as Blitz in Rajajinagar and LXG in Indiranagar, attracting around 500 new players every month. Esports are massively popular in Europe, and 'The International' — an annual esports world championship for the five-on-five video game Dota 2 — offers a total prize pool of $35-40 million,' Goyal explained. 'Indian teams compete in the Southeast Asia qualifiers, but none have yet reached the final round.' Another esports official stated, 'Five or six years ago, there was a stigma around esports gaming, but that has dissipated, and its popularity is soaring. At the school level, esports aren't encouraged alongside academics, making it difficult to gain mainstream acceptance. Only the Bihar government is actively promoting esports, while elsewhere, it's through cafés that the sport is nurtured at the grassroots level. ' Experts estimate that at least two esports athletes from Bengaluru have turned professional after getting involved in the sport through local cafés, now playing in international leagues and earning substantial monthly incomes. Kickboxing A blend of boxing, karate, and Muay Thai, kickboxing has been present in India for some time but has recently become one of the most-discussed martial arts in city clubs. 'For the past five years, kickboxing has gained popularity across the state, particularly in Bengaluru. We have 36 clubs in the city with around 3,000 to 4,000 people training. Most participants come from backgrounds in karate, taekwondo, and wushu. I switched from karate because kickboxing offers seven different events to compete in, while karate has only two,' said Pooja Harsha, state chief of the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations India. 'Kickboxing is not as brutal as MMA or Muay Thai; it is a very safe sport. We have four events on the mat, which are semi-contact, and three in the ring, which are full-contact knockout fights. Kids start in the points category,' she explained. 'We have divided the city into four zones, and kids can start training from the age of four, with competitions beginning at age seven.' Yumnam Thoisana Singh, a top kickboxer from Manipur, now trains in Bengaluru. He has won accolades, including Gala Pro Fight in Delhi and a gold medal at the Indian Open tournament. Thoisana has been training at Namma Training, a local club, for the past year. 'Kickboxing is gaining recognition in Bengaluru and also in many states. The public is increasingly aware of this sport and appreciates its disciplined nature. Besides being a competitive sport, kickboxing is also popular for self-defence, fitness, mobility, and flexibility, making it a well-rounded and beneficial activity for everyone,' said Thoisana, who recently won the Pro Fight Title Belt at the 2025 Kickboxing India League and has been training in Bengaluru for the past year.
The Print
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The Print
Assam's third ‘high-performance sports training & rehabilitation centre' opens in Kokrajhar
The facilities at the centre include high-performance sports training, injury management with advanced robotic rehabilitation, physiological and biomechanical assessment, nutritional and physiological assessment and support, and recovery services, an official release said. The project is a joint initiative of the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Abhinav Futuristic Private Ltd, Oil India Ltd and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. Kokrajhar (Assam), Jul 15 (PTI) A 'high-performance sports training and rehabilitation centre', the third of its kind in Assam in collaboration with Olympian Abhinav Bindra and others, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Kokrajhar on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, Sarma said the centre has been designed to prove itself to be a boon for the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), which has many sporting talents. Assam has now become the first state to have three high-performance sports training and rehabilitation centres, with the other two in Guwahati and Jorhat, the release stated. Emphasising that there is no dearth of sporting talents in the state, Sarma said around 73 lakh sportspersons participated in various disciplines in 'Khel Maharan' competitions. Due to lack of proper exposure, some of the players do not get the opportunity to showcase their skills at the national and global level. These centres will together give a much-needed fillip to the sports talents to raise their performance level, the chief minister said. Sarma said his government is working to create sports infrastructure across the state along with hostel facilities in the training centres for the players. Sarma also said a Rs 125-crore football stadium will come up at Kokrajhar. He said the Assam government is considering opening rehabilitation centres in medical college and hospitals, too, in the next two to three years. PTI SSG RBT This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hindustan Times
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
India's on track to build a strong sporting culture
Sports in India have undergone a significant transformation after the introduction of the National Sports Policy in 2001. India now participates in a wider range of sporting events and achieves commendable results, including in the Olympics. Given these developments, a new policy that aligns with contemporary India and gives voice to its growing sporting ambitions was needed. The National Sports Policy 2025 — Khelo Bharat Niti — reflects a vision that we athletes have long aspired to. Abhinav Bindra, and I were part of the initial committee formed in 2014 to draft a new sports policy. We worked for a year, before the committee evolved and underwent several changes. Finally, the new policy has been introduced. It places strong emphasis on holistic development — from nurturing grassroots talent and supporting elite athletes, enhancing sports infrastructure, public-private partnership model and CSR activities to drive sports, strengthening anti-doping efforts, promoting economic and social well-being through sports, and ensuring greater transparency and accountability in national sports federations. For me, the standout feature of the policy is its emphasis on grassroots development. How do we generate interest in sports among schoolchildren and, just as importantly, their parents? At the elite level, we already have a functional structure in place. We've achieved important benchmarks, developed sports infrastructure, attracted CSR support for athletes and federations, and even the National Anti-Doping Agency is undergoing reform. But if we want to truly build a sports culture, it has to begin at the grassroots. We need to change the mindset that sports is not just an extracurricular activity. It must be seen as essential to a healthy lifestyle. Children should be introduced to sports from an early age. When it becomes part of the school curriculum, people will begin to take it seriously, and then it becomes a necessity and a habit for life. Sports shouldn't be viewed only as a means to win medals for the country, but as a vital part of youth development and well-being of an individual. As children grow, academics often take precedence. A child who is academically inclined will take that path. But if introduced early, sports will become a part of their routine and help them stay fit. At a time when mental health issues and lifestyle diseases are on the rise, this could be a gamechanger. Promoting sports from a young age will reduce the burden on our health care system. The new policy emphasises the importance of hosting sports competitions and leagues at the community, school, district, and panchayat levels. Every panchayat and district should have its own playgrounds and involve former sportspersons in promoting physical literacy. In the past, schools used to have their own open playgrounds, but now many schools have small buildings without access to proper playground facilities. We don't need expensive infrastructure like synthetic or cemented tracks; especially for young children, these can even lead to injuries. Simple grass fields or mud tracks are enough, as long as they offer safe spaces for children to play freely. In countries like the US and across Europe, sports culture is deeply rooted. Parents go for a morning run, and their children follow. Sports training in schools is compulsory. Every child picks up a sport, supports a team, or follows sporting events. It's a way of their life. The policy includes a focus on 'build for economic development,' aiming to boost industries such as tourism, manufacturing, and sports technology. My humble suggestion is to remove the GST on sports training and sports equipment. As far as Olympic medals are concerned, once a child is placed in a structured system from school onward, their ambition will take shape. With clear pathways to progress to the elite level, distractions will reduce. In the past, many athletes weren't sure how to reach the international stage. Today, there is a system in place. Anju Bobby George won India's first World Championships medal in athletics. The views expressed are personal.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chennai clinch inaugural Sevens title as rugby touches down in India
Irish Sevens international Terry Kennedy (C) on the attack for Chennai in the final of the inaugural Indian Rugby Premier League against Delhi Redz in Mumbai (Punit PARANJPE) Ireland Sevens international Terry Kennedy helped Chennai Bulls clinch India's inaugural Rugby Premier League (RPL) title on Sunday as the sport took its first fledgling steps in a country obsessed by cricket. Kennedy scored two of Chennai's seven tries as they concluded the six-team rugby sevens franchise league with a 41-0 thrashing of Delhi Redz in Mumbai. Advertisement India's Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra was among the many stars who graced the finale although the crowds were understandably no match for the hordes that turned up to watch Virat Kohli's Bengaluru win the T20 Indian Premier League earlier this month. However, the RPL's coverage on satellite television has given organisers hope that rugby could emerge as a major sport in India. "No matter how big a sport may be, there is always space if you work hard enough if you create a product that's good enough," Rugby India president Rahul Bose told AFP. "In that respect we are very happy and very secure in the knowledge that there is space for this game and it doesn't have to come by eating away at anybody else's space." Advertisement Just as the IPL focused on the shortest form of cricket, so the RPL has chosen to go for the shortest form of rugby, with the seven-a-side format in this tournament lasting 16 minutes -- four quarters of four minutes each -- and dispensing with the hard grunt of the 15-man game to showcase slick handling and blistering pace. Kennedy is not the only top Sevens player to have been drafted in to the RPL. His teammate Joseva Talacolo, who also scored a try in Sunday's final, won silver with Fiji at last year's Olympics in Paris while Scott Curry, whose Bengaluru Bravehearts finished fourth after losing the bronze medal match to Hyderabad Heroes, played 321 times for New Zealand's All Blacks Sevens team. The American Perry Baker, now 39 and a two-time World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, came out of retirement to play for Kalinga Black Tigers. Advertisement According to Bose, this first iteration of the tournament has gone down well with the public. "What we have heard is that the game is easy to follow, very fast, very exciting and has got tremendous amount of likeability," said Bose who is also a successful Bollywood actor. "Along with that, the athletic prowess of these men has come in for a lot of attention. We are happy with the connect we have made." - 'Bigger and better' - The RPL is seen as a way for India to bolster their dreams of hosting the Olympics in 2036 - and given the continental qualifying system for the Olympics, India even has an eye on fielding a men's or women's team prior to that. Advertisement But it is more than an ideal. The RPL, which blends Indian players with international stars, is run by GMR Sports which, as owner of the IPL team Delhi Capitals, knows a thing or two about franchise competitions in India. "The first season has gone very well for us," Satyam Trivedi, chief executive officer of GMR, told AFP. "The sponsors are happy with what they see on the ground and on TV. "However this is just the beginning for us. We are looking at the first season as a showcase event and take a lot of learnings from here. "In every season this league will get bigger and better." fk/bsp/mw
New Indian Express
21-06-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Bindra's world: Olympic spirit & social change
CHENNAI: There is nothing that unifies more than sport and brings joy to people's faces — Abhinav Bindra. These words encapsulate the power of sport quite succinctly. Just a couple of days before the Olympic Day (June 23), Bindra spoke about Olympism, Olympic Value Education Programme and the Let's Move campaign and how collaborative initiatives in schools have led to social change. Some of the children have taken flights for the first time in their lives. A few even went to Lausanne. A small initiative can usher in miracles. The true power of sport lies in its innate quality to bring in social upliftment and change. It can stir emotions that are unparalleled, can appeal to the senses and render justice to the highest form of being — life. The gold medal at the Beijing Olympics changed Bindra's life forever. Sport has, like he acknowledges, been his life and has given him everything. And this is a small way to give back to society, and in the larger context, India and the world. It has given him a new meaning. The OVEP is one such vehicle that's created a new ecosystem across government schools in Odisha and Assam. Bindra is passionate while describing the nuances of the programme that was launched four years ago in Odisha. OVEP started as a programme to spread Olympism and spirit of sport, but Bindra says it has brought about not just social but behavioral changes in the students and even the parents. For the uninitiated, OVEP is the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) initiative that "communicates the long-term benefits of sport and physical activity through an understanding of Olympism and its impact on individual health, enjoyment, and social interaction." Bindra usually comes across as a man who has his emotions under control. Even his celebrations after winning countless medals were muted. Yet, during an online conversation with this daily, he sounded emotional. At times, he was excited while speaking about OVEP and how it has impacted lives. He says the attendance in schools have increased and more interestingly, girls have started participating in sport. "We have had many positive stories coming out," Bindra explains. "There are many important things that have helped kids become active, but also have had a byproduct. There is better attendance in schools. There are behavioural changes in kids, a positive environment in schools and sport does that." It is fascinating to converse with Bindra. He narrates anecdotes with such clarity that it keeps one engaged. "I have always been inspired by the role sport can play to shape society," he says. "As an athlete, maybe when I was competing, I saw sport from a very small lens. And that was trying to be on top of the podium. But after retirement, I realised that the true power of sport lies on what sport can really do to people, to normal people. How it can really play a positive role in shaping society, in our context in India." Bindra believes that the essential need in India is to try and increase the playing population: "the need to embrace sport as a tool for nation building, the need for people to just play sport for the sheer joy of playing sport, because that is the only way you will build a culture for sport." He feels through these activities "you will have more kids and more young people getting involved in elite sport. And then performances at the elite level will become a byproduct of a larger movement where communities and society on its own embrace sport." Bindra has seen how the top countries win the majority of the medals at the Olympics and he has realized that more than money, it's the sport culture that helped the citizens pursue sports not just as a profession alone. "Sport is played by a normal person, not to become some champion, but just to embrace, make sport as a way of life. That is what we need to develop in India. And that is where I was very inspired by the OVEP," he says. Bindra, who is a member of IOC's athletes' commission, has been doing his bit to spread Olympism in the country and through play and games they are able to imbibe Olympic values and values of sport into character development of kids. "There is no better way than sport to put our youth on the right track and the world to imbibe values that are so unique to sport. That is how we started with a small pilot four years back and that grew and we are now in about 60,000 schools with state curriculum integration in the states of Odisha, Assam, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh," he says. "We signed off and started Chandigarh earlier this year. We have had many positive stories coming out." Last year, the IOC came up with their Let's Move campaign in India. He feels it is to get the global population to get moving. "Because of the IOC's partnership with the WHO, we know the numbers are at an all time high on lack of physical inactivity. That is going to have severe health related issues to the population in years to come. And there the role sport and Olympianism can play to make the world a better place." Bindra's foundation has been involved in implementing the Let's Move campaign in the territories that they are working so deeply in these states for the last couple of years.
