Pickleball World Cup: India unbeaten, dominates league stage in Vietnam
Synopsis
The Indian contingent remains unbeaten on day one of the Pickleball World Cup team event in Vietnam, dominating the league stage. India defeated Antigua and Barbuda, Israel, and the Czech Republic to advance to the round of 32 against Portugal.
The Indian contingent remains unbeaten at the end of the first day of the Team Event at the Pickleball World Cup, currently ongoing in Da Nang, Vietnam till the 6th of September 2026. This marks the end of the league stage, where a dominant India defeated Antigua and Barbuda, Israel and the Czech Republic.
The India pro squad, consisting of Harsh Mehta, Arjun Singh, Anish Froilan, Aman Patel, Pearl Amalsadiwala, Naomi Amalsadiwala, Aaliya Ebrahim and Mihika Yadav, dominated their first two matches, beating Antigua & Barbuda and Israel with a scoreline of 6-0 each, according to a press release from the Indian Pickleball Association. The final match of the league stage was played against the Czech Republic, where India comfortably won with a scoreline of 5-1. Each tie had a total of 6 matches: Women's Doubles, Men's Doubles, Mixed Doubles 1, Mixed Doubles 2, Women's Singles and Men's Singles. They will now face Portugal on Friday in the round of 32.
Team Morale High
“The team morale is very high; we have started the tournament with positive energy and great results. Team members are all playing well, which is most important and hence the result. We are preparing mentally for eliminations tomorrow,” said Harsh Mehta, Captain, India Team.
Making the Nation Proud
“It was an exhilarating feeling during the parade, walking as part of the Indian delegation during the opening ceremony of the Pickleball World Cup 2026. Competing internationally brings natural pre-match nerves, but true champions are defined by their ability to rise above anxiety and deliver when it matters most. We are delighted to see our athletes embodying this spirit, performing with resilience, passion, and determination and achieving victories that make the nation proud. Team India’s success is a testament to their commitment and the collective effort behind them. We look forward to their continued excellence as they showcase India’s growing strength in the sport of pickleball. Thanks to our sponsors Electrorush, Picklebay, Cosmic Birla Group and Lucknow Leopards for helping us through this journey,” said Aalap Sharma, Treasurer, IPA.
Senior Squad Success
The India Senior squad also finished strong on day 1 as they beat Germany and Nepal 4-0 each. Led by Suryaveer Singh, who is also the President of the India Pickleball Association made their place in the round of 32. “Extremely proud of all the individual performances until today and the spirit that the contingent has brought into the team event. We are currently in 4th place on the a few places if this momentum continues,” said Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, President, Indian Pickleball Association.
India's Medal Haul
Earlier in the event, India raked a total of 37 medals with 6 golds, 16 silvers and 15 bronze medals. List of respective medal winners: Vishal Choudhary & Siddharth Reddy - <4.5 40+ Mens Doubles - Gold Ajeet Bhardwaj and Vasudevan Kothandaraman -60+ Men’s Doubles - Bronze Bhushan Akut & Ashok Rohira 60+ doubles - 4.5 Men’s Doubles - Gold Bhushan Akut - Men’s Singles 60+ 4.0 - Gold Ashok Rohira - Men’s Singles - 60+ 4.0 - Silver Nikhil and Vignesh 30+ Men’s Doubles 4.5 - Silver Sreekar and Vivek Reddy 40+ Men’s Doubles - 4.5 - Bronze Vishal and Siddharth - 40+ for <4.5 category - Bronze Kiran - Men's Singles 50+ ( 4-4.5) - Silver Sanjana Sirimalla - Women’s doubles 4.5 - Silver medal Naveen Tummala - 50+ Men’s Singles - 3.5 to 4.0 category - Bronze Lokesh Bhavsar - Men's 30+ Singles below 4.0 - Silver Roshan Mishra - Men’s Singles 30+ below 4.0 - Bronze Kiaan Contractor - Men’s Singles 4.5 - Silver Eswaran Annamalai - 60+ Men's Singles 3.5 - Bronze Raghav Mallik - 60+ Men’s Singles 3.5 - Silver Rocky Raghavan - 50+ 3.5 and above - Mixed Doubles - Bronze Siddharth Reddy and Fayrouz Zaidi 40+ 4.0 - 4.5 Mixed Doubles - Silver Bhushan Akut(India) - 60+ 4.5 Mixed Doubles - Gold Vishal Choudhary - 40+ Mixed Doubles <4.5 - Bronze Vivek Reddy - 40+ Men’s Singles >4.5 - Gold Shaks Devnani - 60+ Women's Singles >4.5 - Bronze Neha Arora - 40+ Women’s Singles < 4 - Silver Fayrouz Zaidi - 40+ Women’s Singles < 4.5 - Gold Sanjana Sirimalla - Open Women’s Singles < 5 - Silver Prashanti Lakamsani - 50+ Women’s Singles < 4 - Silver Petulia Balaji - Women’s Singles 60+-3.0 - Silver Harsh Mehta - Pro Men's Doubles Open - Bronze. (ANI)