Guwahati: Guwahati’s Nazneen Rahman has become the only Indian coach selected for the inaugural Women Who Rally Leadership Summit, a prestigious global initiative that brought together 20 women racquet sports coaches from across the world in Tampa, Florida, marking a significant milestone for Indian coaching on the international stage.
Held at the Saddlebrook Resort on July 25-26, the summit launched the 10-month Women Who Rally Leadership Programme, jointly organised by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR).
The initiative is designed to nurture the next generation of women leaders in tennis and pickleball through mentorship, leadership training, networking and international collaboration.
Rahman earned her place through a highly competitive global selection process that assessed candidates on leadership potential, commitment to developing others and their vision for advancing the coaching profession.
As India’s representative in the inaugural cohort, Rahman joined coaches from several countries in discussions on the future of racquet sports, exchanging ideas on innovation, education and inclusive leadership.
“The inaugural cohort represents the passion, leadership and commitment needed to shape the future of racquet sports,” said Milena Vidos, Vice President of PTR, adding that the organisation was proud to support the participants throughout their leadership journey.
Rahman described the summit as a rare opportunity to learn from some of the world’s leading coaches and sports professionals while building international relationships that would benefit India’s growing racquet sports ecosystem.
Her participation is expected to strengthen global coaching partnerships and bring international best practices and leadership insights to India’s rapidly expanding tennis and pickleball community.
A sports entrepreneur and founder of Kaziranga Pro Sports Network, Rahman has represented India in international tennis and achieved a career-high ITF World No. 8 ranking in Mixed Doubles (45+ category).
She captained the Indian Women’s Seniors Team at the ITF Seniors World Team Championships in Portugal and represented the country at the 2023 ITF Seniors World Championships in Türkiye.
A PPR Certified Professional and Clinician, Rahman also serves as Secretary of the Assam Pickleball Association, where she has been instrumental in promoting pickleball across Northeast India, with a special focus on grassroots development and increasing women’s participation in the sport.
The Women Who Rally programme aims to build a global network of women coaches through a 10-month curriculum focused on leadership development, mentorship, professional growth and collaborative learning.