Inside Nagaland's growing love for pickleball
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in India, with locals and celebrities alike quickly adapting to this new and easy game. In Nagaland too, the sport hasgrown steadily, thanks to the Nagaland Pickleball Association (NPA) established in 2025, with tournaments, trophies, and accolades to its name. What started with a handful of players has now expanded into a full-fledged community that is taking the game to newer heights in the state. Even though the game is mostly limited to the urban areas with 20+ courts in Dimapur and another 6+ in Kohima, the community is slowly expanding to the outskirts of the main city. We speak with Nathan Zeliang, president of the association, about creating a community of pickleball lovers.
What inspired the formation of the NPA, and how has the response been?
After playing pickleball and seeing how easy it was to learn, NPA felt a strong urge to introduce pickleball to the sportsloving people of Nagaland. The response has been fantastic, beyond what many of us could have imagined. The number of players is increasing each day, and people from all age groups are getting into the game.
Was there scepticism when you first introduced the sport?
There was definitely a sense of ‘Oh, this is just a phase’ or ‘Let’s see how long this trend is going to last’, but a year down the line, pickleball is still here, and the numbers are only increasing. We started by inviting friends over, then they started bringing their friends, and so on.
Which age groups have shown the greatest interest in pickleball, and has the sport attracted players from other disciplines?
In the beginning, it was mostly between 23 and 35 years old, but now we’ve got a lot of players who are 40 and above. Amongst the sports, the biggest jump was from tennis to pickleball, and they have been performing so well. In fact, Vilasier Khate, a national tennis champion, is now one of the top pickleball players in the country.
For the unversed, how is pickleball played and what makes it different from tennis or badminton?
Pickleball is one of the easiest sports to learn. Anyone with little or no sports background can pick up the game, which is one of the main reasons for its popularity. But once you learn the game and proceed to advanced levels, it is not easy. It is a mix of tennis and table tennis and has the same court dimensions as a badminton court, while the rules are similar to tennis.
Where does the Nagaland Pickleball Association stand today in terms of membership, coaching programmes and competitive participation?
Nagaland has condcuted over 4 PWR Indian Pickleball Association (IPA)-sanctioned tournaments, apart from numerous local tournaments. Nagaland also hosted the first-of-its-kind Mithun Rhino Interstate Pickleball Championship between Nagaland and Assam to boost sports diplomacy and build camaraderie between the two states. NPA has also conducted clinics with schools as part of our grassroots initiative and is placing a strong emphasis on this. Plans are also in place to host clinics with top coaches from the country.
In less than a year, Nagaland also participated in the first-ever IPA Nationals held in Bengaluru in November 2025, where our players put in a fantastic performance. Team Nagaland also made its mark at the Kolkata Open, Eastern India’s biggest tournament in May 2026, winning eight golds and three silvers.
Have any players from Nagaland already begun competing at the national level or shown exceptional promise?
Players like Imsuren Longchar, David Murray, Tonoto Ayemi, Nzamo Kikon, Vilasier Khate, Kabinlo Kent, Elona Ayemi, Sonia Sarkar, Lentina Longkumer, Lizavi, Megotsolie Khate, Dzuzie, Aniezo, Chichan Shitiri , Lhouvi Punyu, Rohan Abraham, and Imli have all won medals in the national circuit.
What are the biggest challenges pickleball is facing in Nagaland today?
Nagaland is currently lacking coaching. With the right coach and guidance, our players will compete with the best very soon. IPA has agreed to send Team India’s coach, Dhiren Patel, around to coach our players.
Where do you see pickleball in Nagaland five years from now?
I see Nagaland on the global pickleball map. The goal is to keep doing what we’re doing: making the pickleball community bigger and bigger. Hopefully, we will see players from Nagaland representing India at the highest levels very soon.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.