Mumbai, June 17 (IANS) The Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) announced the official Team India contingent for the Pickleball World Cup 2026 following the official trial selections held in Ahmedabad from the June 12-14.

Following an extensive and highly competitive selection process, young pickleball talent has been selected to represent India in the Kids (14 & Under) and Juniors (18 & Under) categories.

Arjun Singh was the undisputed winner in the U18 category, winning the singles, boys’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Junior Pickleball Championship. He won the boys doubles with his brother, Aditya Singh and the mixed doubles with Naomi Amalsadiwala, both of whom have also found a spot in the Indian contingent.

Arjun and Aditya Singh also won the US Open earlier this year in the doubles category. The rest of the squad includes Dev Shah, Purvansh Patel, Vivaan Patel, Ashritha Raju and Diya Mattipati.

The Indian Contingent for the U14 Kids is captained by Veer Shah and includes, Viransh Chopra, Aarin Ballani, Mahika Rathod, Maansi Kartik and Aashritaa S. Captain Veer Shah had a tremendous outing at the Junior Pickleball Championship held in Ahmedabad which also acted as a tournament considered for selection, winning a triple crown in the U/14 category (singles, gender doubles & mixed doubles).

Aarin Ballani swept the U/12 categories and won a silver in the U14 boys’ doubles with Veer Shah earning him a rightful spot. Mahika Rathod showed her prowess in the doubles category winning the girls’ doubles and mixed doubles along with Maansi Kartik and Veer Shah respectively.

“This junior squad represents the absolute future of Indian Pickleball. Following our impressive performance at the last World Cup in Florida, these Under-14 and Under-18 athletes have been selected purely on merit and in exceptional form to lead our next generation on the global stage.

Da Nang will be a true proving ground, and we have full confidence that this team will play with immense passion, carry the tricolor with pride, and inspire countless young kids back home to pick up a paddle,” said Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, president, Indian Pickleball Association.

“To be able to represent India at the World Cup is an honour that is unparalleled and to be named captain is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. The Indian squad looks extremely strong and we are confident that we will be able to better our result from the last time. Wishing all the members of the Indian contingent the best of luck,” said Arjun Singh, captain, India (Juniors – U18)

To maximise performance at the World Cup, the selected athletes will participate in a structured high-performance development programme featuring intensive training camps focused on technical excellence, physical conditioning, mental resilience, and sports nutrition.

–IANS

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