Samantha Ruth Prabhu, a well-known actress and businesswoman, has been formally named as the owner of the Chennai franchise in the recently formed World Pickleball League (WPBL), marking an exciting step for the Indian sports scene. This ground-breaking action not only demonstrates Prabhu’s love of sports but also her first-ever ownership of a sports team, with the goal of advancing pickleball, a rapidly expanding sport in the nation.
The announcement, which was announced on August 20, 2024, coincides with pickleball’s current global popularity surge—it was just named one of the sports in the US with the fastest rate of growth. Through her participation, Samantha hopes to use her well-known status to raise awareness of the sport in India, promoting increased participation and empowering young athletes—particularly women—to pursue competitive sports. I’m overjoyed to be the Chennai franchise’s owner today. Samantha said after the announcement, “I’ve always wanted to be a part of India’s growing sports ecosystem.”
Samantha’s dedication goes beyond simple ownership; she wants to open doors for female athletes and business owners in the sports industry. Samantha’s idea is in complete harmony with the WPBL’s mission of promoting women’s pickleball involvement, as stated by Gaurav Natekar, Founder & CEO. Currently, the league has a sizable female player base. Her commitment to using athletics to empower young girls is a reflection of her desire to have a positive impact on the community and her past experiences.
The World Pickleball League is scheduled to launch in January 2025, offering a captivating fusion of entertainment and competitive sports. With the support of celebrities like Samantha Ruth Prabhu and creative fan-attracting tactics, the league is ready to enthral spectators and make a big impression on India’s sports scene. It’s becoming increasingly exciting to see how Team Chennai will impact pickleball in the nation going forward, thus this is an event not to be missed.
