Gujarat sportspreneurs are looking for new initiatives to engage their fans. In search of a new initiative, Vadodara-based Kathan Vyas has come up with a beach tennis court. It is the first-of-its-kind court in the state, highlighting that sportspreneurs have moved over turf cricket and paddle. 

Beach tennis is a new concept even for Vyas. But over the last two years, after returning from New Zealand, he has studied the market before taking the giant leap. In New Zealand, he completed his post-graduation degree in Master of Business Administration (MBA). The B.Tech graduate, however, had no intentions of joining his family business in plastic recycling. He, rather, wanted to build a community via sports. And he has succeeded in doing so by helping others create their own turf with his expertise in the business. 

“I started vlogging and podcasting initially here (after returning to India) for around 1.5 years. Later, we (Kathan and his friends) used to play on normal turf. During that time, Vadodara had 3-4 turfs. We thought that this business has potential and demand, but the supply is low. Initially, we started the first turf project in 2023,” Vyas tells Gujpreneur in an exclusive interview.  

“Then we started another turf (for cricket). Then we built eight turfs for people and helped their business grow. We learnt how to build turf. We also started pickleball and volleyball later. And then we thought of something new when the beach tennis concept came to mind. It is a badminton-type setup with the same height. Then we researched more and came to know that even the World Championship for beach tennis is organized,” he adds. 

Target Audience And Major Challenges

Unlike padel or pickle ball, beach tennis will not cater across different age groups. Playing tennis, itself, needs a lot of endurance and stamina. Hitting a ball after giving it direction needs a lot of strength. Now imagine undergoing the same process on a beach sand. So which age groups is Vyas targeting for his new beach tennis enterprise?

“Mainly, we are targeting people from the 16 to 35 age group, which will include teenagers and the newly married ones too. This game will need more endurance. Racquet sport is emerging in India,” Vyas said. 

Vyas met the on-ground challenges of bringing the ropes, nets, and adding sand to the court easily. But he was dealt with a major challenge of importing the equipment – which is not easily available in India.

“Initially, when we thought of the game, we knew that we would get the equipment from India only. But it’s mostly available in the US (United States). It takes more than a month to reach here after ordering. We have ordered balls and racquets across different varieties. We will provide the customers with everything and try to understand which one they like more. Then we can import accordingly,” Vyas remarked. 

For importing the equipment, Vyas took aid of his network. He figured out that the equipment available in India can be quite expensive in comparison to importing it in bulk from the US market. 

Building Opportunities

One major factor that entrepreneurs cater to while building turf for sports is entertainment. Audiences get attracted to turfs more often for the entertainment factor they bring in. And Vyas is thinking of bringing up a cafe in his vicinity. In doing so, he is giving a chance to others to build a cafe in his vicinity and scale it further with the footfall he generates. 

“We are open to everything. If someone wants to open a cafe in our vicinity, then we’re open to that. Our main focus is to develop sports games,” Vyas said. 

Beach Tennis World Championships are commonly played in the United States and European continent. In fact, Vyas remarks that in these countries beach tennis is easily played on a natural beach. But in India, there is a requirement of forming an artificial turf. 

“In the US, this sport is played directly on the beaches. So they only need the pole and net. But that’s not possible in India; we need to give them a little extra. We need to give them basic amenities. The costing per court reaches 2.5 lakh per court,” Vyas said.  

“We are open to everything. If someone wants to open a cafe in our vicinity, then we’re open to that. Our main focus is to develop sports games,” he adds. 

Furthermore, Vyas also dreams of hosting beach tennis tournaments and champions once the sport gains momentum in the city.

“As the game awareness increases, we will bring tournaments. We will try to communicate with the Baroda sports authorities. I believe the more we collaborate, the more promotion we get,” Vyas mentioned. 

Conclusion

Vyas’ journey shows that if an entrepreneur is ready to build something new; they can. We must not sit back and think whether the idea will work or not because it is young. We must act on it and the results will show. If you like such business stories, where you can learn about taking a leap of faith; follow us on Gujpreneur.