Kannan Sethu Pickleball Champion Coimbatore: Kannan Sethu, a Coimbatore-based player originally from Kumarapalayam, won the Men’s Singles 35+ crown at the Coimbatore Pickleball Open. He defeated Venkatesh Nagarajan in a hard-fought final with scores of 10-11, 11-9, 11-7, claiming his first major title at the PWR 200 event.
From Hobby to Championship Glory
Kannan Sethu started playing pickleball only last year after more than two decades in tennis. What began as a fun activity has quickly grown into competitive success.
“I come from Kumarapalayam, which is near Coimbatore. Right now I’ve been living in Coimbatore for the last nine years. So I’ve been playing tennis for more than twenty years now. So last year, my friend introduced this sport to me to just play as a fun sport. But right now I’ve been, you know, slowly converted the fun to tournament play. I’m really happy to play tournaments, which is really, you know, giving a lot of challenges to me to improve myself every day, like tennis,” he told Times Now.
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A Gritty Final Against Venkatesh Nagarajan
The championship match tested his endurance. Trailing through much of the contest, Kannan admitted to mistakes but fought back each time.
“So in Coimbatore, it’s a PWR 200 event. So I participated in so many events, but particularly if you see in 35-plus category, I won my singles event. I’m very happy to take the championship this time. Final was so hard. Really, you know, I’m happy for Venki to, you know, to push me to this much level to play better because he was leading all the time. I’m always coming back. I made a lot of wrong choices in between. But somehow I managed and then I won my 35-plus singles. So I congratulate Venkatesh also and then, you know, I hope we play again in some other event,” he said.
Thanks to the Organisers
Kannan also praised the Pickleball Club House for hosting Coimbatore’s first major pickleball event.
“This event was well organised. This is the first event in Coimbatore done by Pickleball Club House. I think I really like to thank Mritunjay and Rithika for taking such an effort to connect this event because we have been travelling to other venues like Bengaluru, other states as well, Mumbai and all to play. But this time, they have brought many players around the country to play in Coimbatore. So, I really thank the Pickleball Club House team. I hope they will connect more and then we keep participating here,” he added.
He also appreciated the quality of the venue.
“I really enjoyed the sport here. The courts here are new and really made us play comfortably in each part. So really thankful to the Pickleball Club House team,” he concluded.
Looking Ahead
Kannan Sethu’s victory highlights how quickly pickleball is growing in Coimbatore. From a player who took up the game casually just last year, to a champion in a PWR 200 tournament, his success shows the opportunities this emerging sport offers. With new local events and strong competition, players like Kannan are set to push the game even higher.
News in Brief: Kannan Sethu Pickleball Champion Coimbatore
Kannan Sethu of Coimbatore won the Men’s Singles 35+ title at the Coimbatore Pickleball Open, defeating Venkatesh Nagarajan 10-11, 11-9, 11-7. A former tennis player, Kannan turned his hobby into competitive play last year. He praised the organisers for hosting Coimbatore’s first major pickleball tournament.