Unbeaten India storm into Pickleball World Cup round of 32 after dominant day

Mumbai: 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.


"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.

"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.

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 medal tally, and we are confident that we will move a few places if this momentum continues," said Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, President, Indian Pickleball Association.

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 Devn- 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.