India Achieves Fourth Place at Pickleball World Cup in Vietnam
India's Performance at the Pickleball World Cup
Photo: @bilkulonline/X
New Delhi, Sep 8: India concluded its journey at the Pickleball World Cup held in Da Nang, Vietnam, securing a commendable fourth place with a total of 41 medals, which included seven gold, 17 silver, and 17 bronze medals.
This year marked a notable improvement from the previous year, where India finished seventh, with a contingent of 48 athletes striving to bring pride to the nation. The competitors participated in various categories, including Kids, Juniors, Open, Seniors, and Masters team events, representing the official Indian Team. Additionally, over 130 athletes took part in individual competitions.
A standout moment for India was the silver medal achieved by the Kids team, which was captained by Veer Shah and included members such as Viransh Chopra, Aarin Ballani, Mahika Rathod, Maansi Karthik, Aashritaa S, Kaveer Mehta, and Praathnaa Motiani. The captain was also recognized as the best captain in the Kids category.
“The Indian contingent has delivered remarkable results at the 2026 World Cup, and the Indian Pickleball Association extends its congratulations to every member of the delegation. Your dedication and hard work have enabled us to maintain our commitment to global excellence. Finishing in fourth place is a significant achievement, and we aim for an even higher position in the next edition. Congratulations to the entire Indian team, and we are now focused on enhancing grassroots pickleball in India to nurture more talents for the global stage,” stated Aditya Khanna, CEO of the Indian Pickleball Association.
The Indian junior team finished fourth after a tough match against Vietnam in the quarter-finals, led by Arjun Singh, alongside teammates Aditya Singh, Dev Shah, Purvansh Patel, Vivan Patel, Naomi Amalsadiwala, Ashritha Raju, and Diya Mattipati.
In the Open category, the Indian team faced the eventual champions, the USA, in the quarter-finals, concluding their campaign with a score of 2-4. The Open team was led by Harsh Mehta, with members including Arjun Singh, Anish Frolian, Aman Patel, Naomi Amalsadiwala, Pearl Amalsadiwala, Mihika Yadav, and Aaliya Ebrahim.
Similarly, the Indian Masters team was eliminated by Vietnam in the quarter-finals, consisting of Bhushan Akut, Thakurdas Rohira, Ajeet Bhardwaj, Shakuntala Devnani, and Petulia Balaji.
The Senior team was knocked out in the round of 16 after a defeat to New Zealand, featuring players Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, Atul Edward, Akhil Mathur, Nilesh Desai, Kiran Salian, Gaurika Chopra, Pearline Roopkumar, and Kavita Khanna.
In individual events, Harsh Mehta secured a bronze medal in the Open Pro Men’s Doubles, while Purvansh Patel won gold in the U/18 Boys Singles. Bhushan Akut achieved three gold medals in the 60+ men's doubles with Ashok Rohira, 60+ Men’s Singles, and 60+ mixed doubles. Fayrouz Zaidi excelled in the 40+ women’s singles, and Vivek Reddy triumphed in the men’s category of the same age group.
Reflecting on the overall performance, Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, President of the Indian Pickleball Association, expressed, "We are incredibly proud of our athletes who represented India with passion, discipline, and resilience. Their achievements have firmly established India on the global pickleball map. We extend our heartfelt thanks to every player, coach, and manager for their commitment, as well as to our supporters for their belief in this journey. Special thanks to Athletiq, Electrorush, HNDRD, Bennet University, Hyatt Regency Delhi, Evaan Sports, Cosmic Birla Group, Picklebay, and Lucknow Leopards for their support towards Indian Pickleball."