India continued its strong run at the 2026 Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam, as Bhushan Akut and Ashok Rohira won the third gold medal at the tournament.
The result adds another big step to India’s campaign at the World Cup, which runs from August 30 to September 6. India has sent players across age groups and categories, with the senior 60+ team led by Bhushan Akut.
The latest gold highlights India's depth in pickleball with experienced players producing quality international performances.
Bhushan Akut and Ashok Rohira deliver Gold For India
The victory of Akut and Rohira came as India continued to win medals in Da Nang. They were part of India's 60+ senior contingent for the World Cup with Akut as team captain.
The Indian Pickleball Association had selected Akut to lead the 60+ squad alongside Ashok Rohira, Ajeet Bhardwaj, Shakuntala Devnani and Petulia Balaji. The group was formed as part of India’s effort to compete across different age categories at the tournament.
Akut has a lot of experience in other racquet sports. He is a former national badminton doubles champion and has also played in masters tennis. His transition to pickleball has produced many strong results and several national and international honors in senior categories.
Rohira is also in the Indian senior pickleball team and has previously worked with Akut in 60+ doubles. So the two have played together before taking on the World Cup challenge.
Now India has won another gold on one of the biggest stages in sport.
India’s Strong Start In Da Nang.
The 2026 Pickleball World Cup will be in Da Nang from August 30 to September 6 and is also the stage for international development of the sport.
India arrived with a large and diverse contingent including Under-14, Under-18, Open, 50+ and 60+ categories. The junior squad also includes experienced senior players as pickleball is becoming a more popular game in the country.
The 60+ team led by Akut is one of that wider contingent. The Indian team was announced in July with the Indian Pickleball Association naming players in the senior divisions ahead of the tournament.
Also India's participation follows a strong performance at the previous World Cup. In 2025, it won 25 medals, including eight gold, eight silver and nine bronze, and placed seventh overall. India was also the highest-ranked Asian country at that time.
And that success set a benchmark for the Indian team ahead of the 2026 competition.
Experienced players help India’s campaign.
The success of Akut and Rohira also shows the role of experienced athletes in India’s pickleball development.
Akut played at a high level in badminton and tennis before becoming a senior pickleball player. He has experience in racquet sports and is familiar with pickleball, and his role as captain in India's 60+ team has given him more responsibility within the squad.
Rohira, meanwhile, has been involved in senior pickleball events with Akut. Their last partnership was a 60+ doubles title at an Indian Masters event, where they defeated Sharad Gangwar and Naharaj Subramanian 15-2 in the final.
That previous success indicated their ability to work well as a doubles pair.
The World Cup gold now adds another international achievement to their record and contributes to India's growing medal tally in Da Nang.
India looks to add more medals.
India continues with several divisions to compete in the World Cup. National senior and young athletes are also represented in the delegation.
The tournament is also important because it brings together players from different generations on the same national team. India's 2026 team contains 15-year-old Arjun Singh in the junior and Open setup, while Akut leads the 60+ contingent.
The third gold given to Akut and Rohira gives India yet another reason for optimism as the competition continues.
With the Pickleball World Cup going on until September 6, Indian players will have further opportunities to add to the country's medal tally in Da Nang.
