Nazneen Rahman wins Guwahati Open 40+ women’s singles title

Nazneen Rahman’s 40+ women’s singles title in Guwahati said as much about pickleball’s growth in Assam as it did about one final. Her 11-5 win over Babita Mohan Langthasa at the Guwahati Open PWR 200 was controlled from start to finish, and it underscored how older women are becoming a central part of the sport’s rise in the Northeast.

Rahman did not need a long match to make her point. She beat Langthasa with a composed and confident performance that left little room for a comeback, and the scoreline reflected authority rather than luck. In a category that can be overlooked in larger conversations about emerging sports, the result showed that women’s masters play is producing real competitive value in Assam, not just participation.

The Guwahati Open was built as more than a single showcase final. Alongside the 40+ women’s singles bracket, the event also featured doubles and veteran divisions, with champions emerging across categories. That broader structure matters because it shows Guwahati hosting a tournament with depth, where multiple age groups and playing styles were part of the same competitive weekend rather than being tacked on as side events.

Rahman’s victory also fits a pattern that is starting to repeat in Assam. Earlier in 2025, she defeated Langthasa 11-6 in the Women’s Singles 40+ final at the state selection trials, suggesting this latest result was another chapter in an ongoing regional rivalry. For Assam’s women’s pickleball scene, that kind of repeated head-to-head competition is a sign of maturity. It means there are established players, recognizable matchups and titles that carry meaning beyond a single day.

The win also lands in a sport that is becoming more organized at the national and international levels. The Indian Pickleball Association says it is recognized by India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, while PWR positions itself as a global ranking system for players and tournaments. That gives results like Rahman’s a wider frame: a PWR 200 title in Guwahati is part of a ranking ecosystem that can shape players’ standing well beyond Assam.

For women’s pickleball in the Northeast, Rahman’s title was more than a clean final. It was evidence that the sport is building a competitive base among experienced athletes, and that Guwahati is becoming a venue where those stories can be measured, repeated and taken seriously.