Indian pickleball team ready for World Cup after trials

Ahmedabad : The Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), the recognised National Sports Federation for pickleball under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), has concluded its landmark two-day selection trials in Ahmedabad, finalizing India’s first official pickleball contingent for the World Cup 2025.

The trials, held at the IPA Centre of Excellence on August 30 and 31, marked a historic milestone for the sport in India. Over 140 top athletes from across states including Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Haryana, and Rajasthan competed for a coveted place in Team India, which will represent the country at the second edition of the Pickleball World Cup in Florida, USA from October 27 to November 2, 2025, under the sanction of the Global Pickleball Federation.

Open Category :

• Men’s Singles: Aman Patel

• Women’s Singles: Amrita Mukherjee

• Men’s Doubles: Dhiren Patel & Suraj Desai

• Women’s Doubles: Rakshikha Ravi & Sindoor Mittal

Under-16 Category

• Girls: Aayra Khanna & Anushka Chhabaria

• Boys: Veer Shah & Vivan Patel

50+ Category

• Men’s Doubles: Suryaveer Singh Bhullar & Nitten Kirtane

• Women’s Doubles: Bela Kotwani & Sujay Parekh

Aalap Sharma, Treasurer and Selection Committee Chairman of IPA, hailed the achievement:

“This is a proud and historic moment for Indian pickleball. We have successfully completed the process of selecting our first official Team India. The level of talent showcased assures us that India is ready to make a strong statement on the world stage.”

He added that the formation of a national team with MYAS and SAI recognition was a turning point for pickleball in India, and expressed hope that the sport’s growth would inspire many more athletes across the country.

The timing of the trials coincided with National Sports Day celebrations, underlining pickleball’s place in India’s evolving sports culture. The selected players will now undergo a high-performance training camp, managed by IPA’s technical team, before flying to Florida in October.

With pickleball’s popularity soaring globally, Team India’s debut at the World Cup is expected to boost the sport’s profile domestically and inspire the next generation of Indian athletes to embrace this fast-growing racket sport.

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