March 24, 2025
From Alok Mehta, President, Racquetball Association of India (RAI)
Racquetball Growing in India
Racquetball is starting to grow in India, with recent events in Sirsa, Haryana marking an important step forward for the sport.
First Court in Northern India
The first racquetball court in Northern India was built at The Mount School in Sirsa, Haryana. This facility now serves as a foundation for training, development, and promotion of racquetball in the region.
Exhibition Match and Training Camp
IRT professional Thomas Carter and I, Alok Mehta, captain of Team India, played an exhibition match to demonstrate how racquetball is played. Following that, we led a two-day training camp to introduce the sport and coach players in fundamentals and technique.
India’s First National Tournament
We also hosted India’s first annual racquetball tournament, with 32 players from 14 states competing across four divisions: Men, Women, Under-19, and Under-16. The event saw high energy and commitment from players, showing that the sport has strong potential in India.
Local and Institutional Support
The event received strong backing from local authorities and the Indian Olympic Committee, both of whom are interested in growing the sport further. Leaders including Gurubeant Singh, Nand Singh, Mahendra Kamboj, and Yogesh Kalra were instrumental in organizing the event and supporting court construction.
Local authorities who helped build the court and supported the training camp have expressed interest in working with the Indian government to expand racquetball across the country.
Global Contributions
We are thankful for the support from international organizations and individuals who provided gear and assistance, especially to India Racquetball Association (IRA) and it’s authorities:
• IRT (International Racquetball Tour)
• IRF (International Racquetball Federation)
• ISRA (Illinois State Racquetball Association)
• Gearbox Racquetball
• Along with many dedicated individual contributors
Call for Support
We invite the global racquetball community to help us continue this momentum. You can contribute by:
• Coaching or mentoring players
• Donating equipment
• Assisting with tournaments and events
• Partnering to develop new courts
With continued support, racquetball can become a widely played sport in India.
Alok Mehta
President
Racquetball Association of India
