1 week Ago By Anirban Sarkar
Third-seed Kavita Khanna stunned top-seed Babita Langthasa in the women's 50+ singles final at the 4th IPA Nationals. On the back of a commanding display in the semifinal, one would have expected Langthasa to ease on her way towards glory. But it was Mumbai's Khanna who took the opening game 11-3.
Despite a strong challenge from the top seed in the second game, Khanna had the last laugh wrapping up the final game 11-9 to bag the title. In an exclusive interview with PickleballNow the winner of the 50+ Women’s Singles at the 4th IPA Nationals, opened up on various aspects. So how has the experience been so far? I was a little jittery because I had ITF players playing against me, but I just kept my cool because this is the first sport in my life and I've never played any racquet sport.
So I was a little jittery, but yeah, I played keeping the coach's guidelines in mind. So what convinced you to take up pickleball? See, now this, I started playing two years back when I saw a post of one of my friends. He won some Asian pickleball Championship in Vietnam.
I was wondering what he had written, one gold in pickleball. I said, what is pickleball? Literally, when I called him, he said, you just come to the court, see what's there and what's not. But I said at this age, you know, I'm playing 50 plus now.
So I was like 48 when I started. So I held the paddle in my hand and saw the ball and I thought this was for kids. You know, anybody can master it.
But no, I was wrong. Only for recreation, if you want to play, you can play. But if you want to get competitive, there is no limit.
You have to put in your best efforts. You have to learn the nuances of the game. So for fitness, how do you train? Specifically for this sport.
For this sport, we do shoulder exercises for strength and strengthening basically and also for agility. Because on court, if you want to play singles, you have to be very mobile. So for that, we do agility drills.
How did you like the infrastructure here? Very good. Except for the fact that we are coming from Mumbai. But excellent arrangements.
Worth coming, worth coming. Once you are here inside, you don't feel where you are from and what you are doing. Once you are here, the courts are very well made, and everything is very well done.
About Bennett University Bennett University, established by the country’s leading media entity, The Times Group, is one of India’s leading private sector higher education institutions and is committed to fostering academic excellence and holistic development. With state-of-the-art facilities and a focus on innovation, Bennett University aims to develop sport initiatives that not only enrich the student experience – but also acts as a nursery for fostering high level sports talent. About Indian Pickleball Association The Indian Pickleball Association is the official governing body for pickleball in India and is dedicated to promoting, developing, and organizing the sport across the country.
The association continues to inspire players of all ages and skill levels to embrace the game through events like the IPA Nationals. IPA is affiliated with the Asian Pickleball Association (APA) and the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF). Stay connected with all the latest news on Pickleball, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, tips, and inspiration you won't find anywhere else.
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