A store that has nurtured 128 years of sports evolution in India

The shop in Pune began with a singular mission of making quality sports equipment accessible. “Till 1952 or 1953, Kuckreja was practically the only place where you could buy sports equipment in Pune,” Madan recalls. “We naturally attracted all the sportspersons.”

Recalling the customer-base of 1900s, Madan says, “90 percent of our orders came from the Britishers. Besides, various maharajas of India were also our primary customers.” The wealthy elite, British officials, and government officials formed the store’s main clientele. Kuckreja was a business thriving at the intersection of coloniser and colonised.

In the early 1900s, when major games like football, cricket, and tennis were still considered pursuits of the elite class, Kuckreja (second shop from right) operated as the primary retail haven for a small circle of enthusiasts. (Specially arranged)

Despite the rising scope in the manufacturing business after independence, Madan family chose to remain in retail. After independence, they established their branches at various Indian cities like Solapur, Nagpur, Bengaluru. Eventually, in 1963, Madan’s father Indranath and uncle Satyapal established Champion Sports, a separate but parallel venture that would complement Kuckreja. Today, the family operates both branches at MG Road and near Deccan Gymkhana. “Our entire family has been in this business,” Madan says. And the newest generation, his grandson, represents the fifth chapter of Kuckreja’s legacy.

“In the early years,” recalls Madan, “cricket bats, tennis rackets, and badminton equipment were crafted from wood, pure, unadorned timber shaped by hands. Volleyballs, footballs, and basketballs were constructed from authentic leather with inner rubber tubes and leather laces used for filling air.” “Now,” Madan notes, “we have rubber-made balls with simple holes for filling air. Some of the old ones with rubber tubes and leather laces still exist in our branch at Champion Sports.”

The evolution accelerated through the 1970s and 1980s. Metal rackets replaced wooden ones. Synthetic materials and carbon fibre emerged in the market. Madan observes how these innovations made sports democratic, “The transformation wasn’t about replacing the old; it was about making the game accessible to everyone.”

Until the mid-1960s, sports in schools and colleges remained a niche activity. Girls’ participation was nearly non-existent. “However, the 1982 Asian Games transformed the attitude of sports,” says Madan, explaining how sports went from a luxury to an aspirational necessity.

For Pune, Madan stresses, “Pune’s sports attitude has always been better than other cities.” Madan was one of the few people who witnessed the transformation firsthand. “Pune ranks among the topmost cities in India in terms of sports participation. Now, boys and girls participate in large numbers. We have the highest number of indoor badminton halls. Both in quality and quantity, Pune is excelling every year.”

This evolution in Pune’s sporting culture mirrors the transformation in how people view sports equipment itself. The attitude toward spending has undergone a complete inversion. “I still remember conversations from decades ago,” Madan reflects. “Ladies would say, ‘This is so expensive. I would rather buy a silk saree for this price.’ That mindset has completely changed. Women and girls now buy sports equipment without hesitation. They never compromise on quality and don’t think twice about spending money.”

Such shifts do not happen overnight. This is where Kuckreja’s longevity becomes instructive. In an era of e-commerce and discounting, Madan acknowledges, “Legacy is there, but what we sell and at what price we sell are more important. Customers come back because of desirable quality and pricing. That is our USP.”

The store has also embraced modern technology selectively. For badminton, tennis, and squash rackets, Kuckreja invested in the latest electronic stringing machines, the kind used by professional tournaments. For example, Madan notes, “When Yonex released its latest technology, Kuckreja immediately acquired it.”

Recalling the challenges Kuckreja faced, Madan reveals, “After 1947, the business endured seven to eight years of decline as the nation found its footing. Then, fast forward to COVID-19 pandemic, sports participation plummeted, and sports equipment became irrelevant.”