The Indian junior team scripted history by clinching a bronze medal at the ongoing Pickleball World Cup in Florida, US, in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.
This marked India’s 10th medal at the second edition of the tournament and their second bronze overall – a proud moment for the young contingent in the international arena. This is India’s maiden participation at the second edition of the World Cup under the Indian Pickleball Association.
India began their campaign impressively, defeating Costa Rica 3-1 in the group stage before finishing second in their pool following a loss to Canada. In the semifinal, the team went down fighting against the USA, which pushed them into the third-place playoff.
What followed was a thrilling bronze-medal showdown against Canada, where India emerged triumphant 21-15 in the tie-breaker, after both teams were locked at 2-2.
Canada drew first blood when Chuyan Zhang and Olivia Hui beat Aayra Khanna and Anushka Chhabria 21-8 in the opening women’s doubles match. But India’s captain Veer Shah rose to the occasion, pairing up with Jeet Sood to level the tie with a 21-16 win over Logan Formaniuk and Luca Dalla Torre.
In the mixed doubles, Aayra Khanna and Aariv Raj went down 17-21 to Formaniuk and Yasmeen Kaukab, allowing Canada to edge ahead 2-1. However, in a high-pressure situation, Veer once again delivered, joining forces with Anushka to secure a commanding 21-11 win over Anthony Brossard and Chuyan Zhang, forcing the contest into a tie-breaker.
India held their nerve in the decider, storming to a 21-15 victory to seal the historic bronze. Veer’s courageous all-round performance earned him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the tournament, while the Indian team was also honoured as the ‘Best Delegation – Juniors’.
In the final, the United States triumphed over Venezuela to claim the gold medal, with Venezuela taking home the silver.
Earlier in the night, Amrita Mukherjee and Suraj Desai clinched India’s fifth gold medal, winning the mixed doubles 5.0 final. So far, India have won five gold, three silver, and two bronze medals at the Pickleball World Cup.
Indian Junior Team: Aariv Raj Khanna, Kiaan Contractor, Veer Shah (Captain), Aayra Khanna, Anushka Chhabria, Jeet Sood