F1 Champion Narain Karthikeyan Lights Up RUC Sports Film Festival in Chennai!
Chennai witnessed a unique celebration of cinema and sport as the RUC Sports Film Festival premiered at AGS Cinemas, T Nagar, on September 3rd and 4th, 2025. From 9 AM to 6:30 PM on both days, audiences experienced the thrill of sports on the big screen through a handpicked selection of blockbuster and critically acclaimed films in English and Tamil.
The festival also marked the official launch of the Rise Up Championship (RUC) Foundation, a first-of-its-kind sports platform designed to blend competitive sport with culture, entertainment, and lifestyle. The event was launched in the presence of F1 Champion Narain Karthikeyan, who released the official RUC jersey to mark the occasion. Founded by a team with backgrounds spanning sports, cinema, and business, RUC was born from a shared vision: to create something Chennai truly deserves—a vibrant, youth-driven movement that connects emerging sports with media, fashion, and storytelling.
The festival brought something for everyone—from timeless classics that defined an era to recent hits capturing the new face of sport. Each screening spotlighted the power of sport to inspire, unite, and tell compelling stories beyond the playing field. Athletes, fans, filmmakers, and collaborators gathered under one roof to celebrate their passion for the game. A red-carpet evening brought together leading figures from entertainment, business, and sport, setting the perfect backdrop for the launch.
“An event like the RUC Sports Film Festival is rare because it does more than entertain—it creates a shared cultural space where sport and cinema meet as equals,” said sports curator, actor, and producer Veerabahu Velayutham, part of the RUC leadership. “We curated films that capture everything from the grit of competition to the personal journeys behind the victories, giving audiences a reason to see sport as both an art form and a unifying force. For athletes and creators, it was a chance to be part of a dialogue that goes beyond the field or the screen. And for Chennai, it became an opportunity to celebrate the city’s love for both sport and storytelling in a completely new way.”
The Foundation’s mission is to promote emerging and professional sports, discover and nurture athlete talent, and build a dynamic ecosystem where sport is celebrated as a way of life. RUC’s approach is to integrate sport into every aspect of cultural life—through compelling storytelling, high-impact events, educational initiatives, and collaborations with brands. The goal is not just to host tournaments but to create opportunities, open doors for new talent, and connect athletes with the support systems they need to rise.
Speaking about the launch of the Foundation, RUC board member and serial entrepreneur Selvakumar Baalu said, “The Rise Up Championship Foundation was created to push the boundaries of how we experience sport in India. Chennai has always been a city that produces champions, but we wanted to build something that not only supports professional athletes but also shines a light on developing sports and the incredible untapped talent around us. By combining the worlds of sport, entertainment, and culture, we are giving athletes, creators, and brands a space to connect, collaborate, and grow together. This is about creating a lasting ecosystem in which sport is not just played, but lived and celebrated every day.”
The launch of the Foundation will be followed by another landmark event—RUC Pickleball By The Bay, to be held at VGP in Chennai on September 26, 27, and 28, 2025. In partnership with the Indian Pickleball Association, this beachside spectacle will introduce Chennai to pickleball on a scale it has never seen before. More than just a tournament, the event will blend high-energy sport with the atmosphere of a music festival, bringing over 25,000 spectators to the city’s coastline.
The tournament will feature five categories: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, each with 32 entries. Matches will be streamed live and supported by strong digital coverage and influencer partnerships, ensuring that Chennai’s first international-scale pickleball event reaches audiences far beyond the beach.
With these two flagship events, the RUC Foundation has set the tone for redefining how sport is experienced, celebrated, and supported in Chennai and beyond. By positioning itself at the intersection of sport, entertainment, and culture—and by providing platforms that double as networking hubs—RUC has opened a fresh chapter for a city that has always been passionate about both its games and its stories
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