Tej Charanraj and Loki Jack overcame a challenging start to clinch the men’s intermediate doubles title at the Team 16 Pickleball Power Play, held at the Go Play Sports Hub in Chennai on January 10 and 11. Speaking to Pickleball Now after the match, the winners reflected on their difficult path to the title.
“We started off with an unexpected loss in the league matches,” Tej Charanraj said. “After that, we somehow managed to win all the way. It was a tough group, but we pushed through and made the final.”
The early setback meant the pair were placed in a demanding knockout route. “Because of that first loss, we were pushed into the toughest draw. There was a lot of strategies, but we managed to get through and reach the finals’
Loki Jack talked about the significance of the title, given that the partnership was a last-minute arrangement. “This is actually the first tournament we’ve played together. We always wanted to pair up, but it hadn’t happened earlier,” he said.
Explaining how the partnership came together, Loki said that circumstances played a role. “Usually he plays with another partner, but this time his regular partner wasn’t available, which gave me the opportunity,” he said.
The Team 16 Pickleball Power Play 2026, a PWR 200 event sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), was held at the Go Play Sports Hub in Chennai from January 10-11.
About Indian Pickleball Association:
The Indian Pickleball Association is the official governing body for pickleball in India and is dedicated to promoting, developing, and organising the sport across the country. The association continues to inspire players of all ages and skill levels to embrace the game through events like the IPA Nationals. IPA is affiliated with the Asian Pickleball Association (APA) and the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF).
About Pickleball World Ranking:
PWR is a national ranking system that spans all age groups, skill divisions, and formats -including singles, doubles, and mixed categories. It serves as the official National Sports Federation Ranking for India. With multiple sanctioned events taking place every week across the country, PWR defines the top Indian players at every level and forms the foundation for team selection at the school, district, state, and national stages.
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