MAM
Delhi set for a smashing rally as Pickleball Now Grand Prix hits Gurugram
MUMBAI: Delhi’s sporting scene is about to get a spicy spin because the pickleball ‘pickle’ is officially popping off. Times Network is bringing the Pickleball Now Grand Prix – North Edition to The Blue Court, Sector 65, Gurugram, on 22 November, marking the next big serve in its multi-city initiative to popularise what has become one of India’s fastest-growing recreational sports.
And the capital is turning up in numbers. Over 200 players will battle it out across the daylong event, eyeing Rs 10 Lakh in prizes, trophies, media visibility and ranking prestige. All matches are affiliated with the Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), ensuring that every point scored counts for official rankings.
The Grand Prix features five categories designed to engage both intermediate and advanced players:
● Men’s Doubles – Advanced
● Men’s Doubles – Intermediate
● Mixed Doubles – Advanced
● Mixed Doubles – Intermediate
● Women’s Doubles, featuring randomly paired teammates for delightful unpredictability
The mix of competition levels paired with the sport’s quick-play energy ensures a day of tight rallies, clutch points and plenty of courtside drama.
Pickleball’s soaring popularity has drawn a premium roster of partner brands across lifestyle, tech, mobility and consumer categories. Among them:
● Presented By: Hell Energy Drink
● NBFC Partner: Aditya Birla Capital
● Official Timekeeping Partner: Just in Time
● Banking Partner: HDFC Bank
● Luxury Real Estate Partner: Arihant
● Celebration Partner: Radico Khaitan
● Equipment Partner: Joola
● Healthcare Partner: Dava India
● Education Partner: Amrita University
● Wealth Partner: Yes Securities
The mix underscores how pickleball has evolved from a recreational pastime to a premium, brand-magnet sport.
Beyond intense rallies and leaderboard climbs, the Pickleball Now Grand Prix weaves in a lifestyle showcase, high-energy brand experiences and a vibrant community vibe. It’s a sporting spectacle that mirrors the country’s growing appetite for accessible, fast-paced, aspirational sports.
With Delhi as the next stop, the Grand Prix promises to amplify the momentum adding visibility, structure and star power to a sport that’s quietly become India’s coolest weekend addiction.
For all updates, head to Pickleball Now because the North Edition is about to serve Delhi its most electrifying pickleball moment yet.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
