Guwahati, November 2, 2026: The Assam State Pickleball Selection Trials 2026 marked an important milestone in the growing popularity of pickleball across the state, offering talented players an opportunity to represent Assam at the Indian Pickleball Association’s National Championship 2026. The two-day tournament was held on October 31 and November 1 at Stride Arena, Guwahati’s newly developed multi-sports facility.
Approved by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India, the event was recognised as a PWR 400-level tournament. Organised by the Assam Pickleball Association (APA) in collaboration with Kaziranga Pro Sports Network (KPSN), the trials witnessed enthusiastic participation from players across Guwahati, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Silchar, across various age groups and categories. ProHealth Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic supported the event as physiotherapy partner, while Playo served as the gifting partner.
The competition featured intense contests in singles, doubles and mixed doubles categories. Players demonstrated remarkable skill, determination and sportsmanship, with every point carrying significant importance in the pursuit of national representation.
Among the standout performers, Vinayak Thakur achieved a Triple Crown, winning the Men’s 30+ Singles, Men’s 30+ Doubles and Open Mixed Doubles titles. Several other players, including Manaswini Hazarika, Nazneen Rahman, Harsh Bagrodia, Dipanjan Dev, Udeeptha Gogoi and Ashish Jain, secured Double Crown honours. Emerging talent Parashmani Das of Guwahati was recognised as the tournament’s Most Promising Player.
The gold medal winners included Neer Aarohan Medhi in Under-14 Boys’ Singles; Partha Pratim Dutta in Open Men’s Singles; Vinayak Thakur, Dipanjan Dev, Ashish Jain and Venkatachalam Gopalan in the Men’s 30+, 40+, 50+ and 60+ Singles categories, respectively; and Manaswini Hazarika and Nazneen Rahman in Women’s 30+ and 40+ Singles. Winners were also crowned in Open Men’s Doubles, age-category doubles and mixed doubles events.
According to APA Secretary Nazneen Rahman, pickleball has witnessed significant growth in Assam over recent years, with increasing participation and improving competitive standards. She expressed confidence that Assam’s players would continue their strong performances and win medals at the national championship, while acknowledging the contribution of referees, officials, volunteers, sponsors and participants.
Beyond the selection of the state team, the trials served as a platform to promote grassroots participation, identify emerging talent and expand pickleball’s reach across Assam. The successful conclusion of the event signals the beginning of an exciting national journey for the selected players, who will carry the aspirations and sporting pride of Assam onto the national stage.
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