Why in News?
India secured fourth place among 82 nations at the Pickleball World Cup 2026, held in Da Nang, Vietnam, winning a total of 41 medals. India’s performance improved from its seventh-place finish in the previous edition.
Key Highlights
- India won 41 medals, including 7 gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze medals.
- The Indian delegation consisted of 48 athletes who competed across Kids, Juniors, Open, Seniors and Masters categories.
- Purvansh Patel won gold in the Under-18 Boys Singles, while Bhushan Akut secured three gold medals in the 60+ categories.
- Fayrouz Zaidi won gold in the 40+ Women’s Singles, while Vivek Reddy won gold in the Men’s 40+ Singles.
- India’s Juniors team finished fourth, while the Open team was defeated 2–4 by the USA in the quarter-finals.
Significance
India’s fourth-place finish reflects the growing presence of pickleball in India and marks a significant improvement in its performance at the international level. The Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) has also emphasised strengthening grassroots pickleball to develop more international-level players.
