Introducing Pickleball to the Hills and Valley
By Stephen Alter
Pickleball — a fast-paced and engaging sport that blends elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis — has been capturing hearts around the world. Invented in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by three American fathers looking to entertain their families, Pickleball has grown from a backyard pastime into a global sporting phenomenon. With its simple rules, lightweight paddles, and suitability for all ages, the sport has gained tremendous popularity in schools, clubs, and senior communities alike.
Recognising the sport’s potential in India, Ajay Mark has been at the forefront of introducing Pickleball to school students in Mussoorie and Dehradun over the past year and a half. A respected figure in the field of education and sports, who worked at Woodstock School for almost 40 years as Head of Athletics, Mark has made it his mission to create awareness and ignite a passion for Pickleball among young athletes in the region.
Through a series of hands-on workshops, he has brought the sport to the grounds of schools like Woodstock, Wynberg Allen, Mussoorie Public School, The Doon School, Welham Boys’ School, Kasiga, Olympus High, Doon International Riverside, Doon Girls’ School. Each workshop has sparked excitement and high participation, with students quickly taking to the sport’s unique blend of agility, strategy, and fun.
“Pickleball is more than just a game. It’s a bridge between generations and an excellent way to promote health, skill, and camaraderie,” says Mark. “My hope is to see students not just playing but excelling in it. It’s great that The Doon School has taken the lead by making three brand new Pickleball courts on their campus. I’m hoping that other schools will follow soon. My aim is to continue Pickleball workshops and cover as many schools as possible by the end of 2025.”
Ajay Mark’s quiet but steady efforts are laying the foundation for a growing Pickleball culture in Uttarakhand. With every paddle swing and serve, he is opening doors to a sport that is truly for everyone — and inspiring the next generation of players in the hills and the valley.
This initiative comes at a time when India is stepping onto the global Pickleball stage — with the World Pickleball Championship set to be held in Mumbai this November. As international interest surges, efforts like Mark’s are helping ensure that Indian youth are not left behind.
When asked how he got interested in this sport, Mark explained. “I picked up Pickleball two years back in Duluth, Minnesota, where my daughters and their families live. Gloria Smith was instrumental in introducing me to Pickleball. Last summer, I participated in a Pickleball tournament in Duluth. This summer again I’m looking forward to playing regularly while visiting my family. One can get hooked very easily to Pickleball once you start playing this sport. This exciting sport came into my life at the right time after retirement. Pickleball came quite naturally to me since I play all racket sports.”
Pickleball courts don’t require too much space and are the same size as a badminton court (44 X 20 feet). The net is 34 inches high at the centre and 36 inches at each side. Pickleball can be played as, both, singles and doubles matches, with either two or four players. The game is usually played up to 15 points, but some tournaments set the winning score at 21. The ball is made of hard plastic, (the indoor ball has 40 smaller holes while out ball has 26 larger holes) which bounces but not as much as a tennis ball. The paddles are somewhat like large table tennis paddles and are made of wood, plastic or other hard synthetic materials. Sports companies in India are now producing the necessary equipment. As the game developed in America, it has its own unique vocabulary. One section of the court is known as “the Kitchen”. This is a non-volley zone of seven feet on either side of the net. There is also a shot known as an “Erne” named after Erne Perry, a famous Pickleball player. In Pickleball it is also possible to hit the ball around the side post rather than over the net. This is known as an “ATP shot”.
Whatever your age, whether you are eight or eighty, you can easily pick up this fascinating sport and play it at different levels. An excellent way to stay fit and active, it develops agility, strength and coordination.
As he promotes Pickleball in Uttarakhand, Ajay Mark is a man on a mission, dedicated to encouraging healthy competition, good sportsmanship, and physical fitness.
(Stephen Alter is the author of more than twenty books of fiction and non-fiction. ‘Wild Himalaya: A Natural History of the Greatest Mountain Range on Earth’, a work of non-fiction, received the 2020 Banff Mountain Book Award in the Mountain Environment and Natural History category. His memoir, ‘Becoming a Mountain: Himalayan Journeys in Search of the Sacred and Sublime’, won the Kekoo Naoroji Book Award for Himalayan Literature. ‘In the Jungles of the Night’, a novel about Jim Corbett, was shortlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. His latest work includes ‘The Cobra’s Gaze: Exploring India’s Wild Heritage’, ‘Death in Shambles: A Hill Station Mystery’, and ‘Birdwatching: A Novel’ which won the 2023 Greenlitfest Book of the Year award.
Alter has taught at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, where he was Director of the writing program for seven years. Following this, he was writer-in-residence at MIT for ten years. Among the honours he has received are fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Fullbright Program, the East-West Center in Hawaii, and the Banff Center for Mountain Culture.
Stephen is brother of accomplished writer, author and actor, the late Tom Alter. Alter lives in Mussoorie).
