Pickleball: India Wins 41 Medals at World Cup in Vietnam
Pickleball Brought India 41 Medals as The Team Improved On Its 2025 Result in Da Nang
India finished fourth at the 2026 Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam, winning 41 medals as the sport continues to gain ground among Indian players.
The Indian tally included seven gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze medals. It marked a clear rise from 2025, when India finished seventh with 25 medals, including one bronze won by the junior team.
The tournament was held in Da Nang from August 30 to September 6. It was the first time the Pickleball World Cup was staged in Asia. Organisers said the event brought together around 5,000 players from 81 countries and territories, with national teams competing alongside individual players.
The Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) said India sent a 48-member delegation for the national team events, led by Aalap Sharma as Team India coordinator. More than 130 Indian athletes also competed in individual events.
The IPA described India as the largest contingent among 82 nations. The wider tournament figures reported by organisers and Vietnamese authorities put participation at 81 countries and territories, while the World Pickleball Federation currently lists 82 federations engaged with the sport.
India entered five national team categories: Kids under 14, Juniors under 18, Open, Seniors aged 50 and above, and Masters aged 60 and above. Each group had its own coach and manager.
The strongest result in the team events came from the Kids side. India reached the final against the United States and took the silver medal. Captain Veer Shah was also named Best Captain in the Kids category.
Shah had already made his mark before the World Cup. He won three titles in the under-14 category at the Junior Pickleball Championship in Ahmedabad, taking singles, gender doubles and mixed doubles. His selection for the World Cup followed those results.
The junior team reached the last eight before losing to Vietnam and finished fourth. Arjun Singh led the under-18 group. He had earlier won three events at the Junior Pickleball Championship and, along with his brother Aditya Singh, had also won a doubles title at the US Open earlier in 2026.
India’s Open team produced one of the closest matches of the campaign. Facing the United States in the quarter-finals, India won the men’s doubles and mixed doubles matches but eventually lost the tie 2-4. The United States went on to win the World Cup, beating hosts Vietnam 4-0 in the final.
The Masters team also reached the final, where India faced Vietnam. The Indian side lost in a tie-breaker. The Seniors team went out in the round of 16 after a close contest against New Zealand.
The overall medal count was built through the individual competitions as well as the national team events. By September 4, India had already reached 37 medals, including six gold, 16 silver and 15 bronze. The final figures increased to 41 medals by the end of the tournament.
The result comes at a time when pickleball is expanding quickly in India. The IPA says it now has more than 50,000 players across 27 states and conducts more than 100 ranking tournaments. The association is recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and oversees national rankings, tournaments and player development.
India’s preparations for the World Cup also included national trials. In June, more than 100 players from several states took part in three days of under-14 and under-18 trials in Ahmedabad. The selection process included players from Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, Haryana and Gujarat.
The tournament itself was a major event for pickleball in Asia. The 2026 edition was the first World Cup to be held on the continent, after earlier editions in Lima, Peru, in 2024 and Florida, United States, in 2025.
The World Pickleball Federation officially recognised the 2026 World Cup in July. Its support came as the international body works towards a unified global structure for the sport and a possible future path towards the Olympic movement.
For India, the jump from 25 medals and seventh place in 2025 to 41 medals and fourth place in 2026 gives a measurable sign of progress. The bigger test will be whether this success can lead to a stronger pool of young players and more international results in the years ahead.
Suryaveersingh Bhullar, president of the Indian Pickleball Association, said: “The Indian Pickleball Association is immensely proud of our athletes who represented the nation with passion, discipline, and resilience. Their performances have placed India firmly on the global pickleball map. We extend heartfelt gratitude to every player, coach, and manager for their dedication, and to our supporters for believing in this journey.”
With 41 medals now recorded at the World Cup, India’s campaign in Da Nang has given the country’s rapidly developing pickleball scene a stronger international result to build on.
