'Happy With How India Has Performed In Pickleball World Cup': IPA President After Indian Team Makes Its Mark | EXCLUSIVE

India’s Pickleball team put up a commendable performance and left a lasting impact at the recently concluded Pickleball World Cup in Peru. Top players like Himansh Mehta, Suraj Desai, Rakshika Ravi, and Anshi Sheth featured in the open category. The Seniors 50+ Category was led by seasoned athletes Nozer Amalsdiwala, Kiran Salian, Bela Kotwani, and Sujay Parekh.Himansh Mehta emerged as a standout star, clinching the Gold in the men’s singles (open) 5.0. In the seniors 50+ Category, Kiran Salian took home a Silver medal in the Men’s 50+ Singles 4.0, while Nozer Amalsdiwala won Bronze in the same event.Reflecting on the team’s success, Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, President of the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), expressed his happiness over the athletes’ achievements"We were invited to send a team this year from India, and we had the selection trials in Ahmedabad," Bhullar told Pickleball Now in an exclusive chat."And I'm very happy with the way that the players performed. Himansh won the singles gold, and he also won the mixed doubles gold with Rakshika Ravi. In the senior category, we had Kiran Salian, who won the silver in singles and gold in men's doubles with Nozer Amalsadiwala. Amalsadiwala also won the silver with Bela Kotwani. So overall, we've done a great job and competed well enough," he added.

However, Bhullar outlined that the contingent did not perform as expected in the team events, but the experience will be a stepping stone for future championships."You know, in the team event, we didn't do too well. But it was the first time for us. So definitely we will improve," he concluded.Bhullar also revealed that India is all set for a massive milestone in pickleball by hosting the Pickleball World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in 2026. The decision to bring the prestigious tournament to India follows successful international events like the PWR DUPR India Masters, which attracted top-tier players from around the world.