IPA selection trials begin in Ahmedabad for Pickleball World Cup 2025

Ahmedabad — The Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), the recognised National Sports Federation for pickleball under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), on Saturday kicked off its selection trials at the IPA Centre of Excellence here to form the country’s first-ever official pickleball team.

The two-day trials (August 30–31) will finalize the squad that will represent India at the second edition of the Pickleball World Cup, sanctioned by the Global Pickleball Federation, scheduled to be held in Florida, USA, from October 27 to November 2, 2025.

More than 140 players from across India, including Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, Haryana, and Gujarat, are competing for a spot.

The trials are being held across three categories:

• Under-16: Two boys and two girls will be selected (no singles).

• Open category: Winners of men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, and women’s doubles will qualify.

• 50+ category: Winners of men’s and women’s doubles will make the team.

Calling it a historic day, IPA President Suryaveer Singh Bhullar said:
“Today marks a milestone as we begin selecting India’s first official pickleball team for the World Cup. For the first time, players will represent India under the aegis of MYAS and SAI, with IPA officially recognised as the National Sports Federation for the sport. This is a proud step forward, moving from an emerging sport to fielding a national team on the global stage.”

The trials coincide with National Sports Day celebrations (August 29–31), further underlining their significance.

The event follows the success of the inaugural World Cup in Lima, Peru, in October 2024, which saw over 500 players from 30+ countries. India’s participation in Florida 2025 is expected to accelerate the sport’s growth domestically.

Day 1 results:

• Men’s Singles – Aman Patel

• Men’s Doubles – Dhiren Patel & Suraj Desai

• Women’s Singles – Amrita Mukherjee

• Women’s Doubles – Rakshika Ravi & Sindoor Mittal

• U16 Girls – Aayra Khanna & Anushka Chhabaria

The U16 Boys and 50+ category trials will be held on August 31 in Ahmedabad.

With inputs from IANS