The Bengaluru Grand Prix ended on a high note with competitive and entertaining pickleball matches with the players in intermediate and open categories. The game provided a chance to see some of the emerging and established Indian pickleball talent (Rashein Samuel, Shreya Bhumireddy and Emily Thorn included) and the fans enjoyed watching very good matches.
It showed the depth of pickleball in India to be very competitive with even close matches and decisive results in the various categories of pickleball. From 19+ Intermediate to Open divisions players competed for singles and doubles titles, proving how popular pickleball is with athletes and fans.
In the Men’s Singles 19+ Intermediate category, BN Ranjith secured the title after beating MD Arafat 11-7 in the final. Ranjith was able to put together a good performance when it mattered the most and held his advantage and ended up winning 4 points.
The Women's Singles 19+ Intermediate final saw Emily Thorn become the champion. Thorn was in convincing form that beat Hita A 11-4. She was able to control her game in the end and win the title.
Thorn added another title to her Bengaluru Grand Prix campaign in Mixed Doubles 19+ Intermediate. Working with Aditya Bharadwaj, she defeated Darshan Jinde and Upasana Nath 11-10 in a tight final. The fact Thorn and Bharadwaj had such a tough match proved that they were able to win the match.
The Men's Singles Open category saw one of the dominant performances of the tournament. Rashein Samuel was the dominant player against Kumar Mathew, winning 15-2 in the final. Samuel's total scoreline at the end confirmed his dominance over the entire tournament and cemented him as one of the best players of the Bengaluru Grand Prix.
The Women's Singles Open final was much more competitive with Shreya Bhumireddy defeating Sonicka 15-11. Bhumireddy kept her cool throughout and finally won the title after a fine show.
The Bengaluru Grand Prix also represented the development of pickleball in India. Participation in tournaments of all ages and skill levels helps in developing the skill base and building an ecosystem of competitive sports in India.
The event was supported by several partners, including Just In Time as the Time Keeping Partner, Explurger as the Community Partner, Volini as the Recovery Partner, Revital as the Hydration Partner, Star Health as the Insurance Partner, and Sumadhura as the Realty Partner. Adgorythm was the Associate Partner and Kauveri Hospital was the Health Partner and FirstEdge Sports as the Equipment Partner.
The Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) is the governing body for pickleball in India with a view to promoting, developing and organizing the sport in India. The association promotes participation for players of all ages and skill levels through tournaments as well as other events.
The Pickleball World Ranking (PWR) provides a national ranking structure for different age groups, skill divisions and formats, including singles, doubles and mixed categories. The ranking system is used to identify players at various levels and is integral to the development and selection of players in India.
Samuel, Bhumireddy and Thorn were the best players at the Bengaluru Grand Prix to show talent in Indian pickleball. The tournaments and the amount of players participating in different categories also showed how the sport is playing a bigger role in the country’s sport.
