Assam Pickleball Stars shine at state selection trials
Assam’s growing pickleball talent was on full display during the Assam State Selection Trials for the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) Nationals 2026, held on October 31 and November 1 at Stryde Arena, Guwahati.
Organised by the Assam Pickleball Association (APA) in partnership with Kaziranga Pro Sports Network (KPSN), the two-day tournament witnessed participation from players across Guwahati, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Silchar and other parts of the state. The trials were sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), and were graded as a PWR 400 event.
Players competed across multiple age and gender categories, aiming to secure a place in the Assam contingent for the national championships.
VINAYAK THAKUR CLINCHES TRIPLE CROWN
One of the major highlights of the tournament was Vinayak Thakur’s outstanding performance as he secured three titles in the Men’s 30+ Singles, Men’s 30+ Doubles and Mixed Open Doubles categories.
Manaswinee Hazarika, Nazneen Rahman, Harsh Bagrodia, Deepanjan Deb and Udipta Gogoi also achieved double crowns across their respective categories.
Meanwhile, Parashmani Das of Guwahati was adjudged the Most Promising Player of the Tournament for his encouraging performance.
Gold medallists across the categories included Neer Arohan Medhi (Boys U-14 Singles), Partha Pratim Dutta (Open Men’s Singles), Deepanjan Deb (Men’s 40+ Singles), Ashish Jain (Men’s 50+ Singles), Venkatachalam Gopalan (Men’s 60+ Singles), Manaswinee Hazarika (Women’s 30+ Singles) and Nazneen Rahman (Women’s 40+ Singles).
Other doubles champions included Harsh Bagrodia and Kavya Bagrodia (Open Men’s Doubles), Udipta Gogoi and Vinayak Thakur (Men’s 30+ Doubles), Deepanjan Deb and Harsh Bagrodia (Men’s 40+ Doubles), Shibasish Dutta Gupta and Ashish Jain (Men’s 50+ Doubles), Upasana Nath and Vinayak Thakur (Mixed Open Doubles), Manaswinee Hazarika and Udipta Gogoi (Mixed 30+ Doubles), and Nazneen Rahman and Debasish Borah (Mixed 40+ Doubles).
Speaking about the growing popularity of pickleball in Assam, Assam Pickleball Association Secretary Nazneen Rahman said the standard of competition across categories reflected the sport’s remarkable progress in the state.
She expressed hope that Assam’s contingent would build on last year’s performance and return from the 2026 Nationals with more medals.
The trials concluded with medal distribution and the selection of players for the national championships. The event also highlighted the growing reach of pickleball beyond major urban centres, with emerging players from different districts showcasing their talent.
With the selection trials now concluded, Assam’s pickleball contingent will prepare to represent the state at the IPA Nationals 2026.
