Actress Samantha ventures into sports, becomes team owner of Chennai franchise in World Pickleball League

The World Pickleball League (WPBL), which is set to be launched at the end of this year, has got its first star attraction in actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu who will be the owner of the Chennai franchise of the league.

The World Pickleball League (WPBL) is owned by Natekar Sports and Gaming and will be held in partnership with Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures and the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA).

The Chennai-based franchise is the first out of the six the organisers have planned for the debut season.

Along with Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad will be the franchise cities and the inaugural season is expected to be held in Mumbai or New Delhi. However, from the next season onwards, the league is expected to propose a caravan style instead of a single city tournament.

Each franchise will have eight players, including Indian and foreign international players, along with top players from the junior circuit too.

As the owner of the Chennai franchise, Samantha is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the league's future and promoting pickleball’s popularity in India.

Samantha, addressing the media at the launch of the franchise in Mumbai, said pickleball was love at first sight. “Love at first sight — that’s exactly how I will describe my feelings for pickleball,” the actor said.

The owner of the Chennai franchise added that she was proud to be a part of India’s ever-growing sports ecosystem. “Pickleball caught my attention from the moment I was introduced to it. I am thrilled to be the owner of the Chennai franchise in the upcoming World Pickleball League. I have always wanted to be a part of India’s growing sports ecosystem. In recent years, our country has made great progress towards becoming a multisport nation, with a significant increase in women's participation in sports,” Samantha added.

She said one of her goals is to include and encourage more women into the sporting ecosystem. “My goal is to encourage more women and young girls to get involved in sports, and I am eager to work with Gaurav Natekar (the organiser of the league) and the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) to drive participation in the sport,” Samantha added.

The WPBL is set to become India’s next sporting sensation and the league is expected to take flight early next year.

The prize money for the winners and runners-up is expected to be in the range of INR 2.1 to 2.5 crore.