Pickleball is taking rapid strides in Goa, with a strong 28-member contingent participating at the 9th All India Pickleball Association Nationals at Jammu. The National event, being organised by the J & K Amateur Pickleball Association under the aegis of the All India Pickleball Association, will witness Goa’s finest talent competing against the country’s best.
The Goan players earned their places through the State Championships held earlier this year by BPS Sports Club, Margao, followed by selection trials. The state squad includes Aarin Balani, Abhishek Singh Goindi, Abilash Haridass, Aryaveer Agrawal, Arsh Sardesai, Ashok Menon, Audrey Menezes, Charmaine Godinho, Clarence Noronha, James Anderson, Joshua Menezes, Keshav Kundaikar, Malvino Kane, Manish Ballani, Nihaal Borkar, Nishad Shevde, Noel Noronha, Parag Joshi, Rahul Rajesh, Rajaram Kundaikar, Rajendra Godinho, Ruta Borkar, Saurish Naik, Simone Lalwani, Taksh Parekh, Tvisha Sardesai, Vinod Parkkot, and Wilfred Jacques.
Among the players to watch out for are Aarin Balani, Arsh Sardesai, and Taksh Parekh in Sub Junior Boys, Tvisha Sardesai in Sub Junior Girls, Audrey Menezes and Charmaine Godinho in Women’s, Nishad Shevde and Nihal Borkar in Men’s, and seasoned campaigners like Noel Noronha, Manish Ballani, Rajaram Kundaikar, Rajendra Godinho, and Wilfred Jacques in the Veterans categories.
The Pickleball Nationals commenced on 26th September and will conclude on 28th September, with more than 500 players from across India competing for top honours.
Speaking on the occasion, Mangirish Kunde, Secretary of the Goa Pickleball Association, said, “We are delighted to see Goa sending one of its strongest contingents yet to the Nationals. The players have trained hard, and we are confident they will put up a fine performance and make the state proud. We are also grateful to our President Mayur Sawkar, Advisors Manoj Patil and Sandeep Heble, and to Yogiraj Kamant and the BPS Sports Club team for their support. A special thanks to Tanmay Kholkar of Manas Developers for generously sponsoring travel kits and jerseys.”
