The Goa Pickleball Association, in collaboration with the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA), will organise the 3rd National Ranking Pickleball Tournament from May 18 to 21 at the tennis courts at Fatorda, Margao.
Supported by the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and the Sports Authority of Goa, the National Ranking Pickleball Tournament is an important event in the pickleball calendar and serves as a selection tournament to identify talented players who will represent India at upcoming international events.
During a press conference in Panaji on Wednesday, Manoj Patil, President of the Goa Pickleball Association, said: “We’ll have different categories of players, including Under 14, Under 19, Open (Men and Women), and Veterans’ 35+ and 50+. This means there will be 25 events with approximately 250 players participating. We have a cash prize totaling about three lakh rupees, with the major sponsor being ENGN, an athlete representation and performance-wear company. We also have co-sponsors Nataker Sports and Fitness. Additionally, we are honored to have Gaurav Natekar, an Arjuna Awardee and former tennis national champion, gracing the closing function.”
Among the notable singles players who will be in action are Tejas Mahajan from Maharashtra and Snehal Patil, both reigning Asia Champions. They will be joined by Sonu Kumar Vishwakarma from Jharkhand, Isha Lakhani from Maharashtra, and Avinash Kumar from Bihar. The doubles category will witness the formidable presence of players such as Yuvi Ruia, Mayur Patil, Vrishali Thakare, and Himansh Mehta. In the Veterans 50+ category, Sarita Davare, a celebrity nutritionist, and Sandeep Tavde, a National Gold-Medalist, will be among the key players to watch, stated Sandeep Heble, organising secretary.
Among the local players to watch out, will be Nishad Shevde who has won medals in Pickleball National events earlier and Noel Noronha, who is a prominent name in Table Tennis in particular.
Nishad Shevde, silver-medalist at the All-India Invitational Pickleball event in Mumbai, says: “I’ve been playing tennis and table tennis at the national level. I recently got introduced to pickleball a few months ago, around the end of January. Ever since I held the paddle for the first time, I couldn’t stop playing the sport. It’s like an addiction, a healthy addiction. Because of my table tennis and tennis skills, I was able to play pickleball at a good level. So, I started practicing seriously. Recently, I participated in the all India pickleball tournament in Mumbai and won a silver medal in doubles. I really appreciate the association for organizing this national rankings tournament in Goa, on our home ground, along with AIPA. It motivates players like us and gives us a significant boost.”
