Beach Tennis in Puducherry

Verified profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and scholarships on this page are compiled from federation and government sources (Wikipedia — Beach tennis, ITF Beach Tennis Tour, IFBT (ifbt.eu) — Amateur India Beach Tennis Federation player interview).

Overview

Governing body: All India Beach Tennis Association
Origin: 1970s Italy
Olympic discipline: No
Category: Racquet
Total players listed: …

Beach Tennis is one of India's most-followed disciplines. The All India Beach Tennis Association oversees national federation activity, talent identification and Olympic qualification pathways. Major support flows in through TOPS and Khelo India for athletes who clear federation benchmarks.

Beach Tennis is not currently on the Olympic programme, but it sits firmly inside India's broader sporting ecosystem. The discipline receives support through the Khelo India movement, multi-sport events such as the National Games and Asian Games trials wherever the sport is contested, and dedicated league or championship structures run by the federation. Sponsorship, broadcast deals and private academies often fill the gap that direct government funding leaves, and several state governments offer cash awards, government jobs and land grants to medallists at the National Games and recognised world championships.

Beach Tennis in India follows the global individual-sport calendar of ranking tournaments, with the All India Beach Tennis Association sanctioning the domestic circuit and selecting players for international duty. Junior rankings start at under-13 and feed into senior all-India rankings used for national team selection. Private academies — many run by former internationals — have become the dominant talent-production model, and the best junior players routinely train and compete abroad with federation clearance. Equipment cost and access to quality sparring partners remain the two biggest practical barriers for new entrants in smaller cities.

At the grassroots, the route into Beach Tennis typically starts at school under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), at the inter-university level under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or through a private academy registered with the state association. The Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games are the largest single discovery platforms — athletes who reach the podium at these events become eligible for the Khelo India Talent Development scheme, which funds boarding, coaching, kit, education and a monthly stipend at accredited centres. State sports awards and central government jobs under the sports quota remain a powerful incentive for athletes from smaller towns.

Beach Tennis originated in 1970s Italy, and in India it has developed a distinct character shaped by the country's geography, demographics and sporting culture. Whether you want to compete, coach, sponsor, write about or simply follow Beach Tennis, the practical starting point is the same: connect with your state association under the All India Beach Tennis Association, identify the nearest SAI centre or accredited academy, and track the Khelo India and federation calendars for the events that decide selection at every level. Beach Tennis is played and developed across India under the All India Beach Tennis Association, with grassroots programmes, state associations and national-level competition pathways.

History

How beach tennis evolved globally and took root in India.

Beach Tennis traces its modern origins to 1970s Italy. Codified rules, standard equipment and international competition took shape as the sport spread beyond its birthplace, and All India Beach Tennis Association is the body that carried it into organised Indian competition.

In India, beach tennis grew through princely-state patronage, defence-service teams, universities and state associations. Post-independence, the discipline was formalised under All India Beach Tennis Association, national championships were instituted, and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) later brought it into the centralised high-performance system with dedicated centres, coaching cadres and sports-science support.

Beach Tennis sits outside the Olympic programme but is firmly part of India's Asian Games, Commonwealth and National Games map, with state governments backing medallists through cash awards, jobs and land grants.

Indian Players

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Rules

Beach tennis is played on a sand court the size of a beach volleyball court (16m x 8m) with a net at 1.7m, almost always as doubles. The ball must be volleyed — it may never touch the sand, so there is no bounce and every rally is played out of the air. Service is underarm or overarm but must be struck without a bounce, and only one serve is allowed: a fault loses the point outright, and a serve touching the net and landing in is a let. Scoring follows tennis with no-advantage games (a single deciding point at 40-40) and matches played over two sets with a tiebreak; players do not switch sides within a point and there is no doubles service box, the whole opposing court being live. Touching the net, catching the ball or letting it land in your own court ends the rally.

Authoritative rulebook: All India Beach Tennis Association. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Key roles, events or positions inside a beach tennis squad or competition.

Singles
One-on-one match — the standard individual format for ranking events.
Doubles
Two-a-side format with different court coverage and serve/return patterns.
Mixed doubles
One male and one female partner — a distinct discipline at multi-sport meets.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in beach tennis at a federation-recognised event.

Solid, strung-less perforated paddle racket (max 50cm long, 30cm wide)
Depressurised beach tennis ball (stage 2, slower than a standard tennis ball)
16m x 8m sand court with net at 1.7m height
Bare feet or sand socks
Cap, sunglasses and sunscreen for outdoor play
Portable net system and boundary lines for informal or beach setups

Governing body

National federation

All India Beach Tennis Association

All India Beach Tennis Association is the recognised national body for Beach Tennis in India. It sets the domestic calendar, selection norms, coaching curriculum and anti-doping compliance, and is affiliated to the international federation for beach tennis. State associations under All India Beach Tennis Association run age-group competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Origin: 1970s Italy
Olympic: No
Category: Racquet

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Major Indian Events

Domestic championships, Khelo India events, National Games and franchise leagues that shape the beach tennis calendar in India.

Amateur India Beach Tennis Federation
Beach tennis in India is organized by the Amateur India Beach Tennis Federation, affiliated to the International Federation Beach Tennis (IFBT). The sport is still in a genuinely early stage of development — players Unnat and Vishwajeet, who helped establish it in India, describe competing in national championships and roughly 7-8 IFBT categories, while noting in an interview that India 'doesn't have great facilities for Beach Tennis yet.'

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions where India competes in beach tennis.

ITF Beach Tennis Tour / IFBT Championships
Indian players have travelled to compete at IFBT-sanctioned events, part of a global tour that has grown to around 200 events across 37 countries since its 2008 launch. The sport is most established in Italy, Brazil and Spain, and is also administered internationally through the ITF alongside traditional tennis.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for beach tennis. The national championship under All India Beach Tennis Association remains the top domestic competition.

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International Players

Globally recognised beach tennis athletes to know outside India.

Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
24-time Grand Slam singles champion.
Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
Multiple-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1.
Iga Świątek (Poland)
Multiple-time French Open champion and world No. 1.
Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Olympic and World badminton champion.
Chen Meng (China)
Olympic table tennis singles gold medallist.

Records

Where to find India's official beach tennis record book.

Olympic medalsN/A
Beach Tennis is not on the Olympic programme, so India records this discipline through Asian Games, Commonwealth, World and Continental championships instead.
Asian Games medalsTracked
India's Asian Games results in beach tennis are compiled by the Indian Olympic Association and the All India Beach Tennis Association.
Commonwealth medalsTracked
Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championship medals in beach tennis are maintained by the All India Beach Tennis Association.
World Championship medalsTracked
Senior, junior and youth World Championship medal records are held by the international federation for beach tennis and mirrored by All India Beach Tennis Association.
National record holdersFederation register
All India Beach Tennis Association publishes the current senior, junior and sub-junior national records and updates them after every ratified event.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in beach tennis — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Beach tennis remains a genuinely grassroots sport in India, largely built by self-organizing enthusiasts rather than institutional infrastructure — practitioners have described travelling between locations to find places to play rather than relying on dedicated venues
The sport's low entry barrier (adapted rackets, existing beach/volleyball-court spaces) offers a realistic starting point for players from other racquet sports
Playing pathway currently runs through the Amateur India Beach Tennis Federation and direct participation in IFBT-sanctioned international events

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Related academies

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Government Schemes

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Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for beach tennis athletes and academies.

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FAQs

Common questions about beach tennis in India.

Who governs Beach Tennis in India?▾

All India Beach Tennis Association is the recognised national federation for Beach Tennis in India. State associations under All India Beach Tennis Association run age-group and state-level competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Is Beach Tennis an Olympic sport?▾

Beach Tennis is not currently on the Olympic programme, but India competes at Asian Games, Commonwealth Games (where recognised), World Championships and other continental events sanctioned by All India Beach Tennis Association.

How do I start playing Beach Tennis in India?▾

Join a school team under SGFI, a college team under AIU, or a private academy affiliated to your state association. From there, age-group state championships and Khelo India events are the standard route into the national pipeline.

What government schemes support Beach Tennis athletes?▾

The core schemes are Khelo India (talent development stipends, scholarships and boarding at accredited centres), TOPS (funding for elite athletes preparing for the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games), and state-government cash awards, jobs and land grants for medallists. Federation-specific schemes may also apply.

Where can I train for Beach Tennis?▾

Sports Authority of India (SAI) national centres of excellence, Khelo India accredited academies, state sports institutes and private academies registered with the state association are the standard training venues. The Academies section on this page lists options.

How are Indian Beach Tennis athletes selected for international events?▾

All India Beach Tennis Association runs selection trials — typically the senior national championship, a dedicated trial event, or ranking-based selection — and publishes the selection policy each season. Objective criteria (times, distances, ranking points, weight-class results) dominate at the elite level.

Beach Tennis in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Beach Tennis in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.

Beach Tennis