Indian Pickleball Nationals 2025 off to a roaring start at Bengaluru

The opening day of the Indian Pickleball Nationals 2025 delivered electrifying action across age groups, setting a dynamic tone for the championship at the The Sports School in Bangalore on Thursday.

Karnataka opened strongly on home turf, securing commanding wins in both the 30+ men’s and 30+ women’s team finals.

In the 30+ men’s category, Karnataka defeated Delhi with confident performances in both singles 21–16 and doubles 21–17. Karnataka continued its dominance in the 30+ women’s finals, prevailing over Maharashtra by winning the singles 21–15 and the doubles 21–17.

Other key matchups in the 30+ men’s division saw West Bengal edge past Rajasthan in two tightly contested singles encounters, while Rajasthan produced a strong doubles win with a 21–06 scoreline.

In the 40+ men’s team finals, Telangana emerged as the standout performer of the age group, outplaying Karnataka decisively in both singles 21–08 and doubles 21–07. The junior categories also produced several high-quality contests. Maharashtra stamped its authority in the U-16 Girls Finals by winning both singles 21–18 and doubles 21–14 against Assam. Gujarat delivered one of the day’s strongest performances in the U-18 Boys Finals, capturing the singles 21–20 in a thrilling finish and the doubles 21–11 over Maharashtra.

These intense matchups unfolded the historic Indian Pickleball Nationals 2025, powered by Sabala, at The Sports School, Bengaluru. Hosted by the Karnataka Pickleball Association (KPA) under the aegis of the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), this is the first National Championship since pickleball received official National Sports Federation (NSF) recognition from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. The opening ceremony was graced by distinguished guests including Gunaranjan Shetty, President of the Karnataka Wrestling Association; R. Sampath Raj, former Mayor of Bengaluru; and Suryaveer Singh, President of the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), whose presence underscored the sport’s rising prominence in India.

With over 1,200 entries from more than 20 states and 17 state-of-the-art courts hosting continuous play, the Nationals has brought together one of the largest and most diverse player fields the sport has seen in the country. The atmosphere at The Sports School remained electric throughout the day as athletes, spectators and officials marked the beginning of what promises to be a landmark edition for Indian pickleball. Day 1 not only showcased exceptional performances but also reaffirmed Karnataka’s growing stature in the sport, setting an inspiring foundation for the coming days of competition.