with Kunal Bare
DOB: 8th December 1995
State: Maharashtra
City: Mumbai
Club: Team CK, Club MK Academy
Kunal Bare proudly announced that he is the Head Coach at Club MK Academy and he wants to continue serving Pickleball by coaching new players.
“I want to promote Pickleball in my own way. I want to coach as much new players as I can. Coaching new players is like doing my own revision. So it works both ways – when I teach new players, I also learn something new. At initial stages of coaching, I focus on a player’s fitness and freewheeling game. Then as they learn to play shots, I start with technique training. In Pickleball technique and drill are the key to become a pro player. I love coaching but perhaps at the core of my heart I am a player.”
Kunal Bare started playing Pickleball in 2012 when Chetan Kate, the current secretary of Pickleball Federation of Mumbai Suburban, was promoting the game in his college. Kunal was a student of M.L Dahanukar College and he enjoyed the fun quotient that is related to Pickleball.
“There were some lovely time that we enjoyed with friends in college playing Pickleball. All of us gathered after college, played Pickleball, enjoyed it, had laughs and jokes and at the end took some fresh memories home. But while having fun we also learnt the game. SO when Chetan understood that we could do better, he arranged our meeting with Sunil Valavalkar sir. He made us understand the importance of Pickleball and how broadly it was played in the US and Canada. After few months, we took permission to practice at Andheri Sports Complex and started playing there.”
As Kunal Bare liked Lawn Tennis very much but could not play due to some circumstances, Pickleball struck a chord with him. He felt that it has the same feel of Tennis and that what attracted him most.
“As I started to take this game seriously, I found that though Pickleball looked like Tennis but there are lots of differences between the two. The biggest benefits that I have got through Pickleball are my physical fitness and mental strength. With the help of this, I have achieved some important milestones in my life. It is because of Pickleball, I have travelled to many places. Now I am planning to travel internationally for representing India. Through Pickleball I came to know many people and now they are like my extended family.”
Kunal Bare is a seasoned player and a veteran of Indian Pickleball. He has witnessed the beginning, the process of growth and is now seeing the present position of Indian Pickleball.
“AIPA has been instrumental in growing Pickleball in India. Now it is played in so many states and cities. So many new players are there, especially women. We feel really proud.”
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
INTERNATIONAL:
- Gold in Men’s Doubles at Indian Open, Mumbai in 2018
STATE:
- Gold in Men’s Doubles at Maharashtra State Pickleball Championship in 2014
DISTRICT:
- Bronze in Men’s Doubles at Mumbai District Pickleball Championship in 2014
- Bronze in Men’s Singles at Mumbai District Pickleball Championship in 2015
- Silver in Mixed Doubles at Mumbai District Pickleball Championship in 2015
- Bronze in Mixed Doubles at Mumbai District Pickleball Championship in 2016
- Silver in Men’s Doubles at Mumbai District Pickleball Championship in 2017
OPEN:
- Gold in Men’s Doubles at Lion’s Club Pickleball Championship in 2014
- Gold in Men’s Doubles at Saphale Club Pickleball Championship in 2015
- Bronze in Men’s Doubles at Pickleball Doubles Championship in 2015
- Bronze in Men’s Doubles at Mumbai Open Pickleball Championship in 2017
- Bronze in Mixed Doubles at Parle Mahotsav in 2017
- Silver in Mixed Doubles at Parle Mahotsav in 2018
- Gold in Team Event at Avenger’s Cup in 2019
- Silver in Men’s Doubles at JMDYC Open in 2019
- Bronze in Mixed Doubles at JMDYC Open in 2019
- Gold in Men’s Doubles at Club MK-JNS Invitational Open in 2019
