GUWAHATI: The Assam State Selection Trials for the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) Nationals 2026 were held on October 31 and November 1 at Stryde Arena, Guwahati's newly opened multi-sport facility.
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The trials were sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), 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.
Organised by the Assam Pickleball Association (APA), in partnership with Kaziranga Pro Sports Network (KPSN), ProHealth (Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Clinic), the event's physiotherapy partner, and PlayO, its gifting partner, the two-day tournament brought together players from across Assam and eligible participants from outside the state, all competing for the opportunity to wear Assam's colours at the national championships.
From Guwahati to Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Silchar, players converged across multiple age and gender categories, with a limited number of national berths at stake. The competition was spirited, the margins often fine, and the occasion a reminder of sport's enduring ability to turn individual ambition into collective pride. For the participants, this was about more than medals; it was an opportunity to earn the privilege of representing their state on a national stage.
THE CHAMPIONS
The gold medallists across the respective categories were:
> Boys U-14 Singles: Neer Arohan Medhi
> Open Men's Singles: Partha Pratim Dutta
> Men's 30+ Singles: Vinayak Thakur
> Men's 40+ Singles: Deepanjan Deb
> Men's 50+ Singles: Ashish Jain
> Men's 60+ Singles: Venkatachalam Gopalan
> Women's 30+ Singles: Manaswinee Hazarika
> Women's 40+ Singles: Nazneen Rahman
> Open Men's Doubles: Harsh Bagrodia / Kavya Bagrodia
> Men's 30+ Doubles: Udipta Gogoi / Vinayak Thakur
> Men's 40+ Doubles: Deepanjan Deb / Harsh Bagrodia
> Men's 50+ Doubles: Shibasish Dutta Gupta / Ashish Jain
> Mixed Open Doubles: Upasana Nath / Vinayak Thakur
> Mixed 30+ Doubles: Manaswinee Hazarika / Udipta Gogoi
> Mixed 40+ Doubles: Nazneen Rahman / Debasish Borah
Triple Crown for Vinayak Thakur
> 30+ men’s Singles
> 30+ men’s Doubles
> Open Mixed Doubles
Double Crowns
1. Manaswinee Hazarika
2. Nazneen Rahman
3. Harsh Bagrodia
4. Deepanjan Deb
5. Udipta Gogoi
Parashmani Das of Guwahati was adjudged the Most Promising Player of the Tournament, an encouraging recognition of emerging talent in the state.
For the Assam Pickleball Association, however, the significance of the trials extended beyond the results. The sport has been steadily finding new audiences across the state, helped by grassroots initiatives, coaching clinics and a growing community of players.
Reflecting on this progress, Ms. Nazneen Rahman, Secretary of the Assam Pickleball Association, said:
"Pickleball in Assam has witnessed remarkable growth over the past few years, and the standard of competition across categories is testament to that progress. Every month, we welcome new players into the community, and these selection trials have demonstrated how deeply the sport has travelled across the districts, with emerging talent raising the bar. Representing Assam is both an honour and a responsibility. We hope our contingent will build on last year's performance and return from the 2026 Nationals stronger and with more medals across categories. An event of this scale is always a collective effort, and the Association extends its sincere gratitude to the referees, officials, volunteers, sponsors, venue partners and, most importantly, the players who made these two days a success."
As the trials drew to a close, the medals were distributed and the selections made. But perhaps the more enduring achievement was something less tangible: a sport growing beyond its familiar centres, finding players in new corners of Assam, and giving them something worth striving for.
The road to the Nationals now begins. Assam will travel not merely with a team, but with the hopes of a sporting community increasingly finding its feet.
