GB padel star Nikhil Mohindra has become the first Ambassador for Padel India to help raise awareness of the sport across the cricket-mad nation.
The 23-year-old has been a prominent part of the Great Britain padel team in recent years, competing at the European and FIP World Padel Championships.
Nikhil is proud of his Indian heritage which made him an ideal choice for newly-created Padel India to choose him as an Ambassador to help them development the sport.
Within his role, and alongside the Indian Padel Federation, Nikhil will participate in a series of events, appearances and exhibitions – including clinics for juniors and amateur players – in a drive to build awareness and leverage the country’s growing status as a racket sports nation.
Away from the court, Mohindra is something of an entrepreneur and recently became a partner of sport and entertainment business, R3 Sport, which is led by financier and Redwood Bank Co-Founder, Jonathan Rowland.
Founded by former Arisaig Partners director Alan Healy, Padel India launched last year as a new movement dedicated to growing what is widely considered the world’s fastest-growing sport, padel, in the world’s fastest-growing racket sports nation, India.
Working closely with governing bodies at the national and international level – the Indian Padel Federation and the International Padel Federation (FIP), respectively – Padel India is focussed on building clubs in order to develop the game from the grassroots to the elite level; harnessing technology to ensure players can be connected with coaches, courts, clubs and brands; and creating events, for recreational players all the way up to the professional game.
Alan Healy, Founder CEO of Padel India, said: “Padel India is thrilled to welcome Nikhil as our first ambassador, as our journey to grow this exhilarating sport in a nation that adores its racket sports, begins.
“With his engaging personality, his love for the sport and his passion for growing the game in India, Nikhil is the ideal fit for us as we begin our journey to bring padel to a targeted 15 million players in 300 cities across the nation.
“In addition, with his expert knowledge of the sport in another emerging padel nation, Great Britain, Nikhil will be the ideal consultant for Padel India as we seek to successfully engage communities, young and old, throughout India.”
Nikhil himself added: “I am delighted to be appointed the first ambassador for Padel India at a time when the sport is on track to grow rapidly in emerging markets. As the largest country in the world, and as a country that loves its racket sports, I am convinced that padel will become the next big game in India.
“Ever since I met Alan last year and understood his vision for the sport, I realised that we shared the same ambition for padel in India. Becoming an ambassador for the game’s growth was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down, and I’m excited about getting rackets into the hands of as many of the 1.4 billion people in India as possible in the years ahead! Padel’s arrival in India is a huge moment for our sport.”
The appointment of Mohindra is expected to be the first in a series of upcoming Padel India ambassador announcements, with big name figures from the worlds of sport, entertainment and business soon to join the padel revolution in India.
