India wins multiple medals at WPC Series Penang, boosts Asia presence
India left Penang with 4 golds, 3 silvers and 2 bronzes, and Vanshik Kapadia led the charge with doubles and singles golds. The haul deepened India’s push in Asia.
India left Penang with a nine-medal haul, 4 golds, 3 silvers and 2 bronzes, and the message was bigger than the count: India’s pickleball bench is starting to look deep enough to win across brackets, not just in one flash pairing. Vanshik Kapadia was at the center of it, taking men’s singles gold and teaming with Mayur Patil for men’s doubles 19-plus Open gold at Pickle By The Sea in Penang Island.
That spread matters. Golds were also credited to Vanshika Kapadia in women’s singles and mixed doubles, while Aalyka Ebrahim added to the gold count as India’s medals came from both men’s and women’s events rather than a single lane. Kuldip Mahajan also made the podium twice, winning bronze in men’s singles and bronze in men’s doubles with Nicholas Maleganeas. When one delegation can collect medals in singles, doubles and mixed, it says the pipeline is widening fast.
The WPC Series - Penang ran from April 16 to April 19, 2026, and it was not just another stop on the calendar. The Penang leg sat inside the WPC Malaysia Series, which debuted in October 2025 in Subang Jaya and has rolled into 2026 as part of a multi-leg circuit. WPC materials say the series spans Asia, Europe and the Americas and awards global rankings, so these results carry more weight than a local trophy chase. Penang itself is being positioned as a regional sports hub, and one preview said the event could draw nearly 800 players, which helps explain why strong results there resonate beyond Malaysia.
India’s progress in Penang also fits a pattern, not a one-off spike. In March 2026, AIPA players were reported to have won 2 golds and 1 silver at the WPC Asia Pickleball Open in Bangkok, another sign that Indian players are turning regional entries into podium finishes. For a sport still building its hierarchy in Asia, that kind of consistency is the real story. India is no longer just showing up at major stops in the region. It is collecting medals, winning titles and forcing its way into the conversation as one of Asia’s deepest and most dangerous pickleball programs.
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