Racquetball in Goa

Verified profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and scholarships on this page are compiled from federation and government sources (Indian Racquetball Association (indianracquetball.com), Wikipedia — Racquetball in India, India national racquetball team, Racquetball World Championships, International Racquetball Federation (internationalracquetball.com)).

Overview

Governing body: Indian Racquetball Federation
Origin: 1950 USA
Olympic discipline: No
Category: Racquet
Total players listed: …

Racquetball is one of India's most-followed disciplines. The Indian Racquetball Federation 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.

Racquetball 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.

Racquetball in India follows the global individual-sport calendar of ranking tournaments, with the Indian Racquetball Federation 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 Racquetball 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.

Racquetball originated in 1950 USA, 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 Racquetball, the practical starting point is the same: connect with your state association under the Indian Racquetball Federation, 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. Racquetball is played and developed across India under the Indian Racquetball Federation, with grassroots programmes, state associations and national-level competition pathways.

History

How racquetball evolved globally and took root in India.

Racquetball traces its modern origins to 1950 USA. Codified rules, standard equipment and international competition took shape as the sport spread beyond its birthplace, and Indian Racquetball Federation is the body that carried it into organised Indian competition.

In India, racquetball grew through princely-state patronage, defence-service teams, universities and state associations. Post-independence, the discipline was formalised under Indian Racquetball Federation, 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.

Racquetball 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

Racquetball is played inside a fully enclosed 20ft x 40ft court in which the front wall, side walls, back wall and ceiling are all in play. Points are scored only by the server; a rally is won when the opponent fails to return the ball to the front wall before it bounces twice. The serve must be struck from the service zone and reach the front wall first, and the server gets two attempts. Games are played to 15 points (a decider to 11), with matches typically best of three. There is no tin as in squash — the ball may be played off any combination of walls and the ceiling, which makes rallies faster and more three-dimensional than in squash.

Authoritative rulebook: Indian Racquetball Federation. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Key roles, events or positions inside a racquetball 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 racquetball at a federation-recognised event.

Short racquet (maximum 22 inches including the frame) with a mandatory wrist safety tether
Hollow rubber ball, 2.25 inches in diameter, in speed grades from slow (blue/green) to fast
Protective eyewear — compulsory in sanctioned play at every level
Non-marking indoor court shoes with lateral support
Gloves for grip in humid conditions
Fully enclosed 20ft x 40ft four-wall court with a glass back wall for viewing

Governing body

National federation

Indian Racquetball Federation

Indian Racquetball Federation is the recognised national body for Racquetball in India. It sets the domestic calendar, selection norms, coaching curriculum and anti-doping compliance, and is affiliated to the international federation for racquetball. State associations under Indian Racquetball Federation run age-group competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Origin: 1950 USA
Olympic: No
Category: Racquet

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Major Indian Events

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

India Open Racquetball Singles Championship
First held in Hyderabad in 2014. The Indian Racquetball Association (IRA — evolved from the Amateur Racquetball Federation of India, founded 2009, later the Racquetball Association of India) is the sole national governing body.
Grassroots development
IRA has been expanding infrastructure, including India's first racquetball court in Northern India, built at The Mount School in Sirsa, Haryana, alongside IRF-supported training camps and a first regional tournament (32 players from 14 states).

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions where India competes in racquetball.

World Racquetball Championships
India has competed continuously since its 1998 debut — one of the longer-standing Asian participants in the event. Six Indian athletes qualified for the 2026 edition in Temuco, Chile: Vineet Singh, Ravi Sohoni, Alok Mehta, Pratham Vilekar and Sumeet Kamat.
IRF Asian Region
India is a member alongside roughly two dozen other Asian countries and territories.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for racquetball. The national championship under Indian Racquetball Federation remains the top domestic competition.

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International Players

Globally recognised racquetball 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 racquetball record book.

Olympic medalsN/A
Racquetball 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 racquetball are compiled by the Indian Olympic Association and the Indian Racquetball Federation.
Commonwealth medalsTracked
Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championship medals in racquetball are maintained by the Indian Racquetball Federation.
World Championship medalsTracked
Senior, junior and youth World Championship medal records are held by the international federation for racquetball and mirrored by Indian Racquetball Federation.
National record holdersFederation register
Indian Racquetball Federation 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 racquetball — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Sudhanshu Harshavat won gold at the Promus US Open Racquetball Championship (Memphis, 1999) — an early individual highlight for Indian racquetball
Alok Mehta has been a recurring captain/coach across multiple national teams (2014, 2016, 2018 and beyond), reflecting the sport's reliance on a small core of committed, largely self-funded athletes and organizers in India
Playing pathway through IRA's developing state infrastructure and international partnerships with the IRF
The sport remains genuinely niche in India relative to squash and badminton, offering real ground-floor opportunities as courts and coaching expand

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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 racquetball athletes and academies.

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FAQs

Common questions about racquetball in India.

Who governs Racquetball in India?▾

Indian Racquetball Federation is the recognised national federation for Racquetball in India. State associations under Indian Racquetball Federation run age-group and state-level competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Is Racquetball an Olympic sport?▾

Racquetball 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 Indian Racquetball Federation.

How do I start playing Racquetball 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 Racquetball 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 Racquetball?▾

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 Racquetball athletes selected for international events?▾

Indian Racquetball Federation 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.

Racquetball in every state & UT

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

Racquetball