India is building its junior pickleball army, and the process starts in Ahmedabad.
The Indian Pickleball Association will conduct three days of trials from June 12 to 14 to determine the Sub-Junior and Junior national teams for the third edition of the Pickleball World Cup, sanctioned by the Global Pickleball Federation and set to be held in Vietnam from 30 August 30 to 9 September.
More than 100 players from across the country—representing Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, Haryana, and Gujarat—will compete for spots in the Under-14 and Under-18 categories. The selection committee overseeing the trials consists of Aalap Sharma, Dhiren Patel, Mohit Kumar, Atul Edward, and IPA chief executive officer Aditya Khanna.
Indian Pickleball Association president Suryaveer Singh Bhullar was direct about what is at stake.
“The Junior squad for the Indian Pickleball contingent is extremely vital as it determines the players that will represent India on the global stage for many years to come,” Bhullar said. “These are the players who will potentially one day compete at the major global events once pickleball officially enters those events as well. The World Cup is the perfect starting point for the young talent across India to showcase their skills and compete alongside the best junior talent in the world.”
The trials carry genuine weight—and the names in the field reflect that.
Arjun Singh arrives as one of the most decorated prospects in the pool, having recently won 3 medals at the US Open across singles and doubles. Panth Thakkar brings a US Open bronze in doubles to the table. Naomi Amalsadiwala, already making noise in the open category, will also be on court, alongside Purvansh Patel, Anoushka Chabbria, Veer Shah, and Dev Shah—all competing for a place in one of the most consequential junior squads India will have assembled in the sport.
Pickleball is growing fast in India, and the IPA is not leaving the next generation to chance. The trials in Ahmedabad are where it begins.
