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 activities

By:

BijuBabu.Cyriac

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.

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.PickleballPickleball, 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,” Shree Harsha, 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.

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.EsportsEsports 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.KickboxingA 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.