Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 11 (ANI): Pickleball in India has moved well beyond being a recreational sport. Over the last few years, the sport has seen a rapid rise in participation, competitive tournaments, new courts and a growing community of players across the country.
As the sport enters its next phase, there is a clear opportunity to build platforms that bring structure, identity and a larger sporting narrative to the game.
Building on this momentum, Courtly is announcing Season 1 of the Courtly City League (CCL), set to take place in Mumbai from 8–10 December 2026, according to a press release from the CCL.
CCL introduces a new format to Indian pickleball — six city-based teams competing within a single city, bringing together players to represent regional identities rather than simply competing as individual participants. The league will feature Rs 60,00,000+ in prize money, making it one of the significant competitive opportunities for players within the growing Indian pickleball ecosystem.
For players, CCL represents a chance to be part of something bigger than an individual tournament — to represent a city, play alongside and against some of the country's best talent, build team rivalries and become part of the first season of a league designed to grow with the sport.
The league is being created by Courtly, a sports and technology company focused on building modern sporting experiences through ideation, execution, community and technology. Having worked across the pickleball ecosystem, Courtly sees CCL as an opportunity to build a property that can evolve alongside the sport and its rapidly expanding community.
“Pickleball in India has reached an interesting point. There is tremendous participation and talent, but there is also an opportunity to create sporting properties that give the community something to follow, support and identify with. CCL is our attempt to build that — starting with six teams in Mumbai and creating a format that can grow into something much larger,” a statement from CCL said.
Courtly City League Season 1 will take place in Mumbai from 8–10 December 2026.
More details around team identities, player drafts, participation and the league format will be announced in the coming weeks. (ANI)
Courtly City League announces Season 1 in Mumbai, bringing a new city-based league format to Indian pickleball
