Latest news with #Juneja
Mint
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Say hello to padel, the racquet sport everyone's playing
Stop with the pickleball mania already. There's another racquet sport whose star is rising and anyone who finds pickleball boring loves it. Say hello to padel—the hottest game in town today. 'It's impossible to find a court in the mornings or after office hours on any given day in Mumbai. Everyone wants to play it and despite a dozen or more courts, I cannot find a free slot if I don't book way in advance," says Tunali Mukherjee, 38, a screenwriter from the city. The padel boom, according to Mukherjee, is insane at the moment. 'There is a luxury club coming up in Worli and another one is in the works in the office district of Lower Parel. There are more than a dozen padel facilities in South Mumbai alone. And most of the legacy clubs such as Radio Club, Cricket Club of India and Bombay Gymkhana have set up a padel court for their members and guests," she adds. Padel courts have also mushroomed in Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi and Gurugram. Mind you, this demand for padel is not in metro cities alone. People in smaller cities and towns, too, are keen on having a go at this sport that is a mix of tennis and squash. Nikhil Singh, 44, who runs a pickleball facility in Jamshedpur, is looking to start a padel court as he feels the steel city has a healthy demand for it thanks to the sport's omnipresence on social media and YouTube. Suraj Juneja, 46, founder of Alt Sports that sets up pickleball and padel courts, says tier 2 and 3 cities want to try out the new racquet sports as much as people in cities want to. 'I am setting up padel courts in Siliguri at the moment," says Juneja. IS PICKLEBALL LOSING FANS? Pickleball has enjoyed a phenomenal rise in popularity across India in the last couple of years. It owes its popularity to the fact that it is an easy sport to learn irrespective of one's racquet skills, athleticism, fitness or mobility. 'Pickleball is a very easy sport. Its learning curve is not at all steep. Even those who have never played any sport ever or aren't sporty or athletic can pick up, and are playing, pickleball without much trouble. A couple of sessions and anyone will appear natural at the game as the pace is manageable and it doesn't involve too much running around or require special skills," says Aarish Ansari, 31, a digital content manager from Mumbai. Ironically, the very reasons that made pickleball popular are now stunting its growth and the sport is drawing a fair bit of flak. Since it is so easy, those who are active or fit are not challenged by pickleball, explains Juneja. As a game, it is slow and people can easily grow bored of it, and the only skill one needs to learn to become good at it is volleying, says Mukherjee. Another thing that goes against pickleball is the noise. Residential complexes across India that have installed pickleball courts have been flooded with complaints from inhabitants about the noise caused by pickleball, which is made of plastic. As Mukherjee notes, it is because pickleball is played with a plastic ball that it is not taken seriously. Among its detractors, pickleball is largely seen as an activity for people who aren't active, have limited racquet skills, and are old. The fact that long retired tennis stars such as Andre Agassi (55), Steffi Graf (56) and John McEnroe (66) are the face of pickleball doesn't help shake off its association with older people. In contrast, padel recently ran a campaign with current tennis stars Iga Swiatek and Daniil Medvedev. It helps matters that several high profile footballers including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are often spotted playing padel in the media. WHAT MAKES PADEL A SERIOUS, ELITE SPORT Padel sits perfectly in the gap between tennis (not as technical and difficult) and pickleball (not as slow, easy and boring). As padel is much faster and more skilful than pickleball but a lot less technical or difficult than tennis, it is challenging enough for players to upgrade their skills and also fast enough to ensure a good workout. 'Padel is a more serious sport and elite. You need skills to play it," says Ansari, who admits he would switch to padel if he finds three more friends to play it with. That shouldn't be a problem given the meteoric rise the sport is enjoying across the world these days. Floating padel courts have been launched in Miami, Dubai and Switzerland, ski resorts have also set up courts for padel, luxury brands from Chanel and Prada to Balenciaga and luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet have added padel accessories to their offerings and plenty of padel retreats have appeared in Spain, Thailand and Indonesia. Closer home, Mukherjee says the number of people in Mumbai who want to play padel is huge. 'There are thousands of people on all the WhatsApp padel groups that I am a part of." As a sport, padel is relatively more expensive than pickleball. Setting up a padel court is about five times more expensive than setting up a pickleball court, points out Juneja. That means renting a pickleball court is significantly cheaper than renting a padel court. Typically, a pickleball court charges between ₹ 500 to ₹ 1,500 per hour as compared to ₹ 2,000 to ₹ 4,000 per hour for a padel court. Even the pickleball racquets and balls are significantly cheaper than a padel racquet and balls. Padel coaching is also more expensive than employing a pickleball coach of a similar calibre and standing. Mukherjee pays ₹ 30,000 for three months of hour-long sessions two times a week in groups of four. One-on-one coaching can cost anything upwards of ₹ 4,000 per hour. According to Juneja, people who crave a faster pace of play choose padel as it is a much more challenging sport and it feels like a better workout. 'Anyone who is used to playing tennis is more likely to enjoy padel as the scoring system and the balls used are similar. The game requires a certain degree of racquet skills and agility to cover the court. But besides that, the set of people who choose padel over pickleball are those who want to be seen playing a cooler, much more expensive sport that is on the rise, " he says adding, 'Padel is huge in Dubai and many people want to be associated with a sport that is trending in richer countries." Mukherjee belongs to the group with a tennis background and that is what attracted her to padel in the first place. 'What appeals to me about padel is that I can keep upgrading my skills in the sport unlike pickleball, where all you really do is volley. The glass walls add an extra layer of challenge. The cage, hitting the ball off the walls and the faster pace make padel a lot more enjoyable as a sport despite it being a lot less technical than tennis," says Mukherjee. There's also the social aspect of playing padel that she enjoys. 'Playing padel is a lot more fun and productive than sitting in a restaurant or a bar for a couple of hours eating and drinking. Padel is addictive," she confesses. Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and the co-author of The Shivfit Way, a book on functional fitness.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Mohali property dealer booked for ₹30-lakh land fraud
The IT City police have registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against a local property dealer, Samir Juneja, for allegedly duping a city resident of ₹30 lakh in a fraudulent land deal. Police teams have launched a manhunt to trace and arrest him. (HT File) Juneja, a resident of Phase-11, Mohali, is currently absconding. Police teams have launched a manhunt to trace and arrest him. The case was filed based on a complaint filed by Palwinder Singh, 55, a resident of Sector 79, Mohali. As per the complaint, Singh entered into an agreement with Juneja for the purchase of half an acre of land in Nurpur Bet village, Ludhiana. The total value of the deal was fixed at ₹1.95 crore, for which Singh paid ₹30 lakh in advance— ₹15 lakh in cash and ₹15 lakh through RTGS. An agreement was signed, and the land registration date was scheduled for November 30, 2023. However, Juneja failed to execute the registration. When Singh verified the ownership of the land, he discovered it was not registered in Juneja's name. To regain Singh's trust, Juneja issued a cheque of ₹25 lakh, which later bounced. Singh then wrote to the tehsildar (west) in Ludhiana for official verification. The tehsildar's reply confirmed that Juneja did not own any land in Nurpur Bet village. It was revealed that Juneja had falsely represented someone else's land as his own and fraudulently received money under a fake agreement. Acting on Singh's complaint, police have registered a case under Sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code at the IT City police station. Police officials stated that investigations are ongoing and efforts are being made to apprehend the accused.
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Over 97,000 persons convicted in UP under 'operation conviction': State govt
Under UP government's "Operation Conviction" launched in 2023, over 97,000 persons have been convicted till mid June, an official statement on Tuesday said. On average, 143 identified cases were resolved, and 187 criminals convicted each working day, the state government said.(Image for representation) "Launched on July 1, 2023, Operation Conviction has proven to be a game-changer, leading to the conviction of 97,158 criminals between July 2023 and mid-June," ADG prosecution Deepesh Juneja said. Juneja said of the 1,14,029 identified cases, 74,388 cases were disposed of. Under the campaign, 68 accused persons were sentenced to death, 8,172 received life imprisonment, 1,453 were sentenced to over 20 years, and 87,465 were given up to 20 years' imprisonment. The data showed the government's commitment to delivering swift and decisive justice, particularly in cases involving serious crimes, he added. Targeting organised crime, the statement said, 395 accused were convicted in 272 cases involving the top 10 criminals. When it came to crack down on the mafia, 29 of the 69 identified mafias were convicted, reaffirming that the crackdown was not limited to petty offenders, the statement added. The campaign was stated have also delivered results in cases of crimes against children as reflected from 17 accused being sentenced to death under the POCSO Act which included three such punishments in a month and 619 persons being handed out life imprisonment. Of the 68 death penalties, 17 were under POCSO, 48 for heinous crimes, and the rest in other cases. On average, 143 identified cases were resolved, and 187 criminals convicted each working day, it said.
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Business Standard
01-07-2025
- Business Standard
97,000 persons convicted in UP under 'operation conviction' since 2023
Under UP government's "Operation Conviction" launched in 2023, over 97,000 persons have been convicted till mid June, an official statement on Tuesday said. "Launched on July 1, 2023, Operation Conviction has proven to be a game-changer, leading to the conviction of 97,158 criminals between July 2023 and mid-June," ADG prosecution Deepesh Juneja said. Juneja said of the 1,14,029 identified cases, 74,388 cases were disposed of. Under the campaign, 68 accused persons were sentenced to death, 8,172 received life imprisonment, 1,453 were sentenced to over 20 years, and 87,465 were given up to 20 years' imprisonment. The data showed the government's commitment to delivering swift and decisive justice, particularly in cases involving serious crimes, he added. Targeting organised crime, the statement said, 395 accused were convicted in 272 cases involving the top 10 criminals. When it came to crack down on the mafia, 29 of the 69 identified mafias were convicted, reaffirming that the crackdown was not limited to petty offenders, the statement added. The campaign was stated to have also delivered results in cases of crimes against children as reflected from 17 accused being sentenced to death under the POCSO Act which included three such punishments in a month and 619 persons being handed out life imprisonment. Of the 68 death penalties, 17 were under POCSO, 48 for heinous crimes, and the rest in other cases. On average, 143 identified cases were resolved, and 187 criminals convicted each working day, it said.
New York Post
23-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Northern Trust says it's ‘fully committed to remaining independent' after report of possible BNY merger
Northern Trust on Monday shut down any talk of a possible merger with Bank of New York Mellon. 'I can tell you that Northern Trust is fully committed to remaining independent and continuing to deliver long-term value to our stakeholders, as we have for the past 135 years,' a spokesperson for the bank told The Post in a statement. That pushback came a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that BNY had approached Northern Trust last week to express interest in a deal. Advertisement Bank of New York Mellon reportedly approached Northern Trust last week to express interest in a deal. REUTERS The chief executives of both banks had at least one conversation, but there was no specific offer on the table, sources told the Journal. BNY was considering whether to submit a formal bid, according to the report. BNY did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment. Advertisement A merger between BNY, the world's largest custodian bank, and Northern Trust would reshape the asset management sector. Combined, the two banks oversee more than $3 trillion. Shares in Northern Trust jumped 7% as Wall Street analysts argued that a deal could be mutually beneficial, depending on the price. 'There are strategic benefits to BNY from this potential combination and also to Northern Trust,' JP Morgan analyst Vivek Juneja wrote in a research note. 'Key would be the price paid which would determine the financial impact on both companies' shareholders because a high price would hurt both.' Advertisement The deal could strengthen BNY's wealth management business and help Northern reduce its technology expenses, Juneja added. BNY is reportedly considering whether to submit a formal bid to acquire Northern Trust. Bloomberg via Getty Images Shares in Northern Trust have risen about 9% so far this year, pushing the Chicago-based firm to a market value above $21 billion. BNY has a market cap of more than $65 billion. Its shares have rallied more than 50% over the past year, thanks to a turnaround plan led by CEO Robin Vince that has boosted profit and revenue. Advertisement 'Any deal would have to clear antitrust hurdles' though, Rajiv Bhatia, analyst at Morningstar said, adding that State Street, JPMorgan and Citigroup are still major competitors. Analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods said in a note they see a low probability of this merger getting done. It's unclear whether Northern Trust has any interest in selling, and even in that case, the merger would likely face large antitrust roadblocks, the note said. 'We believe the bar is soon to be lowered for larger bank mergers, this potential deal would involve a Category 1 bank and a Category 2 bank, which may still face a higher hurdle than two super-regional banks,' the note from David Konrad said. The Trump administration has painted itself as a more deal-friendly one — already approving Capital One's $35 billion takeover of Discover.
