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Among the nearly 80 participants from all over India plus another 18 of the world’s best competing at the Bombay Gymkhana International Racketlon Open tournament held from December 1 to 3, 2023 were four Parsis who showed their prowess in different categories. 

Often described as the "Ironman of racket sports” in Racketlon players vie against each other in four sports sequentially: table tennis, badminton, squash and tennis. Each sport is played to 21 points with the winner being the player who scores the most overall points across all four sports. "It is a rapidly growing sport which provides a unique test of technique, stamina and mental strength as it finds the most gifted all-round racket sports player,” stated Naheed Divecha, the first lady vice president of Bombay Gymkhana who was delighted that the Federation of International Racketlon (FIR) decided to bring some of the best international players from Great Britain, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the USA to play alongside the top Indian players at the Bombay Gymkhana.  

 

Playing in three Racketlon categories, Divecha was the winner in the Women’s doubles B Advance category with Johann Fernandes of Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana, and was runner up in the Women’s singles B Advance category, as well as in the mixed doubles B with Adit Patel of Juhu Gymkhana. Having played her first national event in January 2022 when she won the women’s singles and mixed doubles and subsequently getting selected for the India team for the World championships, this is the third time she got to play at an international event. Exercising every day, she plays a racket sport, usually badminton, and occasionally tennis thrice a week. A few months before Racketlon tournaments she also practices table tennis and squash. Twice a week she does workouts at the gymnasium and on weekends she does karate, says the mother of three who works part time as a company secretary for Eros Elevators and Escalators Pvt Ltd where her husband Rushad is managing director.  

Nevil Malao too played in three categories, the Men’s open amateur category, competing against young players, singles 50+, and Men’s doubles 50+. Playing many exhausting rounds, he finished in the third place in the Men’s singles 50+. Playing all four racket games since the last over 40 years at various levels, he was Karnataka sub junior No 3 in 1980 and had represented the Western Naval Command in the Navy championship in tennis in 1987-88. Graduating from the National Defence Academy in 1985, he served in the Indian Navy till 2008. Currently heading the cruise shipping division of J. M. Baxi & Co as senior vice president, he is only able to put in about six to eight hours of practice each week due to his work and travel commitments.

After getting a wild card entry into the Elite category, 24-year-old Rehaan Engineer played an outstanding singles badminton game against the current World No. 1 Leon Griffiths, taking him to a close 21-19 following long rallies for each point. Representing Maharashtra in his younger days in badminton, his favorite sport, this was the first exposure to racketlon for the advocate practicing in the Bombay High Court. Prior to the event he spent two weeks in practice that made him realize, "I definitely needed more time.”

For 16-year-old Zane Pundole too this was his first experience of racketlon. Although he has been playing squash since he was a child he has been training in tennis for the past two-three years. The 10th grade student at Hill Spring International School plays tennis three to five times a week for one-and-a-half-hour sessions.

Divecha who along with Firdaus Shroff and Neville Patel organizes the annual tennis and badminton tournaments under the auspices of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations for Welfare and Culture maintains, "My endeavor in organizing all these events is only to give children a platform to pursue sport, and for parents to understand how important sport is in building a well-rounded personality and instilling confidence, discipline, a healthy lifestyle and distraction from gadgets.”