Indian Doubles Specialist Vanshik Kapadia Shines at WPC Asia Pickleball Open

Players from the All India Pickleball Association delivered a strong performance at the WPC Asia Pickleball Open 2026, winning two Gold and one Silver medal at the international tournament held from March 11 to 16 at The Mall Bangkapi in Bangkok, Thailand. At the center of India's haul was Vanshik Kapadia, the Maharashtra-based doubles specialist who finished on the podium twice across two different categories.

In the Men's Doubles 19+ Open, the AIPA pair of Mayur Patil and Vanshik Kapadia clinched the Gold Medal with an impressive performance. The pairing extended a productive partnership that Kapadia has developed on the WPC circuit, and it was the headline result in an Indian campaign that featured athletes drawn from across the country.

Kapadia did not stop at one medal. Isha Lakhani and Vanshik Kapadia teamed up in the Mixed Doubles 19+ Open Pro Category, winning the Silver Medal in a fiercely contested event, with their outstanding partnership making them a formidable team on the podium.

The gold in women's doubles matched the men's result. In the Women's Doubles 19+ Open, Aalyka Ebrahim partnered with Agnimitra Bhavatosh Bhattacharya to secure another Gold Medal for AIPA. Ebrahim proved to be among the tournament's most versatile performers: she also won a Silver Medal in Mixed Doubles Advanced Plus alongside Avinash Kumar, and further finished 4th in Women's Singles 19+ Open and Advanced Plus.

The AIPA contingent included Sonu Kumar Vishwakarma from Jharkhand, Ritam Chawla from Haryana, Avinash Kumar from Bihar, and players from Maharashtra such as Mayur Patil, Aalyka Ebrahim, Anuja Maheshwari, Vrushali Thakare, Gaurav Rane, Tejas Mahajan, Kuldip Mahajan, Vanshik Kapadia, Aniket Durgawali, and Kunal Bare. The delegation competed across singles and doubles events, with multiple athletes entering more than one category throughout the six-day tournament.

Kapadia arrives at these results with credentials already well established on the Asian circuit. He is a triple medalist at the inaugural PPA Tour Asia, the first Indian to achieve the feat, and a triple crown winner at the Asian University Games. He has held the Asia No. 2 ranking across men's singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles, displaying adaptability across formats. Introduced to pickleball in 2018, Kapadia turned professional in 2020 and has since shaped his game largely on the Asian circuit.

AIPA President Arvind Prabhoo reflected on what the Bangkok results represent for the sport at home. "We are extremely proud of the performances delivered by our players at the WPC Asia Pickleball Open. Their dedication and commitment continue to raise the standard of Indian pickleball on the international stage. Results like these reflect the growing depth of talent in the country and give us great confidence for the future of the sport in India," he said.

The All India Pickleball Association has been working to develop and promote pickleball in the country for over 18 years, playing a key role in building a strong grassroots ecosystem and providing international exposure to Indian athletes, and the recent performances at the WPC Asia Pickleball Open 2026 reflect the positive outcomes of these sustained efforts. For Kapadia personally, gold and silver from Bangkok add another chapter to a career that, at 20, is still very much in the making.