Vanshik Kapadia went to Penang, entered three divisions, and won all three. That’s how you conquer a tournament.
The young Indian pro claimed gold in Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles at the WPC Series stop in Malaysia—a Triple Crown, pickleball’s rarest hardware combination—while compatriot Aalyka Ebrahim stacked one medal of each colour across three events on the women’s side. By the time the weekend was done, the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) contingent had collected six medals across five events. For Indian pickleball on the international stage, this was one its loudest weekend yet.
Kapadia’s Sweep
Start with Kapadia, because his weekend is the story.
Men’s singles 19+ Open. Gold. Men’s doubles 19+ Open with partner Mayur Patil. Gold. Mixed doubles 19+ Open with Vrushali Thakare. Gold. Three entries, three podium tops, no gaps.
Triple crowns are rare for a reason. Holding form across three disciplines—often playing back-to-back with minimal rest between matches—demands a level of physical and mental consistency that most players cannot sustain across a single event, let alone across all three formats simultaneously. Ben Johns, the world’s best pickleball player, has built a significant share of his reputation on triple crowns. Kapadia just produced one at a WPC Series stop.
The age-division context matters—this was the 19+ Open rather than the absolute professional tier. But for Indian pickleball chasing international benchmarks, a clean sweep at a WPC Series event in Asia is exactly the kind of result that moves the story forward.
Ebrahim’s Medal Rainbow
If Kapadia’s weekend was a statement of dominance, Aalyka Ebrahim’s was a statement of range.
She took gold in Women’s Singles 19+ Advanced Plus, silver in Women’s Doubles alongside Ariana Muralidharan, and silver again in Mixed Doubles partnering Willy Chung. Three events. Three medals. All different colours.
Across different formats, different partners, and different match pressures, Ebrahim remained competitive throughout—a combination of adaptability and composure that is harder to manufacture than any single gold.
Beyond the Headlines
Kuldip Mahajan deserves his moment too. Bronzes in Men’s Singles and Men’s Doubles—the latter alongside Nicholas Maleganeas—may not lead an article on their own, but they widen India’s podium footprint in ways that matter. Six Indian athletes collecting hardware across five events at an international stop is squad depth, not a one-player spike.
AIPA president Arvind Prabhoo credited his players’ “world-class ability on an international stage” after the Penang haul. With six medals and a triple crown to point to, the claim holds up. India is not just turning up at international events and contending—it is winning. That distinction reflects what a properly developed coaching pipeline looks like when it finally catches up with a sport’s growth curve.
What Comes Next
If Kapadia carries this form into the next WPC Series stop—or makes the jump to PPA Tour Asia—India has its first realistic shot at a mainstream Asian professional pickleball star. If Ebrahim keeps collecting podiums across formats, the women’s depth chart in Asian pickleball just became considerably more competitive.
Keep those names. They are going to keep coming up.
