Pickleball at Kovai.co began with a simple guessing game, boards were placed in the reception and pantry, asking people to guess what new thing was about to happen. Soon after, another board was introduced, this time for registrations. Our people enjoyed signing their names, and in no time, the board was completely filled with participants for the upcoming tournament.
From practice to planning the fixtures
With so many people ready to play, practice sessions started even before a month. To set the stage, everyone gathered at the step seater for the fixtures meet, two days before. A spin wheel brought in the fun, while rules, dos, and don’ts were explained. This was also when teams came up with their own creative names like Pickle Pals, Pickle Rick, Net Positive, and Smashing Double, etc. The excitement grew as players discovered who they would face and began talking strategy.
The Match Day
The tournament day arrived on a Saturday at The Courtside, Coimbatore. Matches began at 3 PM and went on till night. With four courts running continuously, the energy was unstoppable. More than 70 players participated, and even those who hadn’t registered came along to cheer.
The experience was unique. We played under the hot afternoon sun, in the pleasant evening, and even under the night sky. Some rallies turned into superb shots, sometimes luck played its role, and at times the wind even changed the game. The teams winning matches soon realized that choosing the right side of the court mattered even more than getting the first serve, because that evening, the wind had its own plans. That mix of unpredictability made the matches even more exciting.
In between the tournament, pizzas and mango juice helped refuel everyone, while the cheers from teammates and colleagues never stopped.
Semifinals and finals that kept everyone on edge
The tournament had three categories – Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles. From the first round to the quarterfinals, the competition only grew tougher. By the semifinals and finals, matches were played as best of three, which made every point matter. The finals were particularly tense. Every game was closely fought, and often the deciding third match determined the winner.
Celebrating the winners
The tournament wrapped up with champions across all three categories.
In the Men’s Doubles, Paddle Pals team with Ramesh Lokesh, Senior Product Support Engineer, and Harish Ganesan, Product Support Engineer, took the title. The Women’s Doubles trophy went to The Beginners Charulatha Ravichandran, Associate Technical Document Writer, and Pavithira Rajendran, Senior Data Scientist. The highlight of the event was the Mixed Doubles final, where Ramesh Lokesh and Sneha Sree Jagadeesh, Product Support Engineer of Doubles Trouble, emerged as the winners of an unforgettable match.
Ramesh Lokesh, Senior Product Support Engineer, says,
Every match was exciting, but the finals stood out with loud cheers all around. In both men’s and mixed doubles, we lost the first set but fought back and gave a comeback to win, making our victories truly unforgettable.
Winners (from left to right) – Harish, Ramesh, Pavithira, Charulatha, Ramesh, and Sneha
Runners (from left to right) – Ajay Ganesh, Mithun, Sandhara, Gayathri, Pavithira and Pradeep
Beyond the Court
What began as a new sport for many ended as an unforgettable experience. The motto behind the KPL Pickleball tournament was simple – learn a new skill and try something fresh. Just like how we adopt bold steps in technology and AI, we wanted to encourage our people to try a new sport too. Pickleball is not very common in companies, but at Kovai.co we take pride in being among the few who introduced it. We adapt to new things but always keep our values strong, that’s what drives our growth.
Pradeep Jumani, Chief People Officer, says,
The fantastic turnout for our pickleball tournament is a reflection of Kovai.co’s spirit. We are open to new ideas, eager to experiment, and committed to building a culture where people come together to learn, play, and grow.
