Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 18 (ANI): India delivered a commanding performance at the World Pickleball Championship (WPC) Series hosted by the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA), showcasing their dominance on home soil. The championship, which concluded on Monday with much fanfare, witnessed participation from over 17 countries, 55 international players, and more than 500 Indian athletes, making it one of the largest global events for the sport.
Team India stood out as the top-performing nation, clinching an impressive total of 28 medals, including 11 golds, and securing the coveted team event title, according to an AIPA press release.
In the 19 + open category, India’s Sonu Vishwakarma defeated Spain’s Mauro Garcia to clinch the gold medal, the match was tight but Sonu maintained the lead right from the 1st point itself, the final score read 21-14, while India’s Kuldip Mahajan defeated Taiwan’s Lin Guang Sian 21-9 to claim the bronze medal. In the 35 + Men’s Single’s Category Vietnam’s Carlos Rubio staged an amazing comeback to win gold as he defeated India’s Ankit Mody 21-19. Ankit was leading 19-10 and looked confident of winning the gold, but Carlos made a comeback in the tournament playing exceptionally to win the gold. India’s Vivek Reddy defeated Rohan Salvi to secure bronze medal in the same category, the final score read 15-7.
In the 19-plus women’s doubles category Australia’s Andie Dikosavljevic and India’s Vrushali Thakare defeated Philippines Anna Clarice Patri and Australia’s Ludovica Sciaky to secure gold with the final score 21-9.
Australia’s Nicola Schoeman and Danni-Elle Townsend defeated Aiko Yoshitomi and Mihika Yadav to secure bronze. In the 35-plus women’s doubles category, India’s Priyanka Mehta and Shraddha Damani defeated Sindoor Mittal and Simran Bangera to grab gold with a score of 21-6, India’s Pooja Rao and Radhika Trivedi defeated Shakuntala Devnani and Gayatri Mewada to secure bronze. In the 19-plus women’s singles category Korea’s Mihae Kwon fought through pain to defeat Kate Morris 21-10 to win the gold medal. India’s Mihika Yadav defeated Australia’s Danni-Elle Townsend 15-4 to secure bronze. In the 35-plus women’s category India’s Priyanka Mehta defeated Gayatri Mewada 15-6 to secure the gold medal.
In the Men’s doubles 19 + category Korea’s Kim Eung Gwon and India’s Mayur Patil defeated Australia’s George Wall and Lucas Pascoe with a score of 21-16 to secure gold. Japan’s Kenta Miyoshi and India’s Stavya Bhasin defeated India’s pair of Tejas Mahajan and Vanshik Kapadia with a score of 21-8 to secure bronze. In the Men’s doubles 35 plus category India’s Nitten Kirrtane and Vishal Jadhav defeated Italy’s Marcello Bettinelli and Pep Giuliano with a score of 21-12 to secure gold medal. India’s Niraj Jain and Sohel Makani defeated Vietnam’s Carlos Rubio and Spain’s Sergio Ruiz Caro easily to secure bronze medal.
In the 19 + mixed doubles category Australia’s Danni – Elle Townsend and George Wall defeated India’s Vanshik and Vrushali 21-12 to secure gold, Australia’s Andie Dikosavljevic defeated India’s Isha Lakhani and Mayur Patil with a score of 14-4 to secure bronze. In the 35 + mixed doubles category India’s Isha Lakhani and Vishal Jadhav defeated Shraddhar Damani and Carlos Rubio 21-6 to secure gold. Ankit Mody and Radhika Trivedi fought hard and defeated Sindoor Mital and Himanshu to secure bronze
AIPA President Arvind Prabhoo expressed his delight at India’s remarkable performance.
“The success of the WPC Serie demonstrates the growing prominence of pickleball in India. Our athletes have showcased exceptional skill and determination, making the nation proud. AIPA is committed to nurturing talent and taking the sport to greater heights globally. This championship is a testament to the unifying power of sports and the potential of Indian athletes on the international stage,” Arvind Prabho said as quoted by an AIPA press release.
In the 50-plus men’s category, in an all-India final, Nitten Kirrtane defeated Akhil Mathur to claim gold with a score of 15-4 and India’s Bhushan Akut defeated India’s Sandeep Tawde with a score of 15-12 to secure bronze. In the 50-plus men’s doubles category India’s Sandeep Tawde and Nitten Kirrtane defeated Akhil Mathur and Bhushan Akut to secure gold with a score of 21-11 and Australia’s Chris Pascoe and Gordon Watson defeated India’s Pradeep Ramnani and Thakurdas Rohira 15-9 to secure bronze.
In the 50-plus women’s singles category, India’s Shaks Devnani defeated Sushma Thakore 15-3 to secure gold. In the 50-plus mixed doubles category India’s Bela Kotwani and Sandeep Tawde defeated Bhushna Akut and Shakuntala Devnani to win gold, while Thakurdas Rohira and Ruchi Shah defeated Nozer Amalsadiwala and Pradnya Shevni to win bronze. (ANI)
