Hyderabad: Gaurav Natekar, himself a champion tennis player, is now promoting pickleball - a fairly new sport - which he believes can make to the Olympics, which is the grandest stage for any sportsperson.
Excerpts from his Exclusive Interview:
ETB: The World Pickleball League starts on 24th January – tell us how excited or nervous you are.
Natekar: It is less than a month to go for the first season of the World Pickleball League, and we are all extremely excited as well as nervous. This is a pioneering effort that Aarti (Natekar's wife), I, and our team are undertaking. There is definitely a mix of emotions, but above all, we are really looking forward to this journey and to witnessing the league come to life.
ETB: You and your wife Arati come from a family with a history of sports. Tell us about your journeys – from watching athletes in the family to being trained and playing sports at the highest levels, and now starting a sports league of your own.
Natekar: Aarti and I have both had unique and interesting journeys in sports. Both our parents represented India in their respective sports—her parents in athletics and my father in badminton.
We ourselves became professional players, and that is how we met. From there, we got married and ventured into the sports business and other entrepreneurial pursuits. Aarti coached the junior Wimbledon team, and we also managed a chain of retail stores. I have been involved in sports consulting, commentary, and writing. Launching the World Pickleball League feels like a natural progression in our shared journey, and we are excited to make it a milestone in our lives.
ETB: Do you think Pickleball can make it to the Olympic Games?
Natekar: I strongly believe that Pickleball has the potential to make it to the Olympic Games. The sport is gaining immense popularity worldwide, and there is already talk of it being considered for inclusion. If this happens, it would be a significant moment for Pickleball and a tremendous boost for its growth on a global scale.
ETB: As a former tennis player yourself – how easy is it to get into Pickleball at least for someone who has played racquet sports before?
Natekar: As a tennis player, transitioning to Pickleball was relatively easy in some ways because of my familiarity with racket sports.
However, there are key differences between the two sports. For instance, the court in Pickleball is much smaller—1800 square feet compared to a tennis court, which is 72 by 36 feet. Additionally, the nature of the game requires players to stay low because the ball stays very close to the ground.
The concept of the 'kitchen area', which restricts movement near the net, was also a new adjustment for me, as in tennis I was accustomed to playing serve-and-volley and getting close to the net. Despite these differences, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning and playing Pickleball.
