The 2026 Pickleball World Cup was held in Da Nang, Vietnam, from 30 August 2026, and India finished fourth in the overall medal standings with 41 medals. The Indian tally included seven gold, 17 silver, and 17 bronze medals, and the result marked an improvement from India’s seventh-place finish at the previous World Cup.
Pickleball World Cup
The Pickleball World Cup is an international tournament for national teams and individual players in the sport of pickleball. The 2026 edition was the first time the event was hosted on the Asian continent, and final event coverage recorded participation from 82 countries.
India’s Medal Performance
India’s 41-medal haul included multiple age-group and open-category podium finishes. Fayrouz Zaidi won gold in the 40+ Women’s Singles, Vivek Reddy won gold in the 40+ Men’s Singles, Kiran Salian won gold in the 50+ Men’s Singles, and Purvansh Patel won gold in the Boys Under-18 Singles.
Bhushan Akut, captain of India’s 60+ team, completed a golden hat-trick on 1 September 2026 by winning the 60+ Men’s Singles, the Men’s Doubles with Ashok Rohira, and the Mixed Doubles with Elizabeth Wilcox. The Indian Kids team, captained by Veer Shah, won silver in the national-team event after defeating Japan 3-0 in the semi-finals and losing to the United States in the final.
Indian Team Selection
The Indian Pickleball Association held three days of national selection trials in Ahmedabad on 14 June 2026 to finalise the sub-junior and junior squads for the World Cup. The Indian delegation at the tournament consisted of 48 athletes.
Important Facts for Exams
- Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis.
- The Pickleball World Cup is an international competition with national teams and age-group events.
- Da Nang is a coastal city in central Vietnam and a major venue for international sports events.
- The Indian Pickleball Association is the national governing body associated with pickleball in India.
Grassroots Development
The Indian Pickleball Association CEO Aditya Khanna announced that the next focus area for the federation is grassroots development. India’s final medal count at the 2026 Pickleball World Cup was 41.
