Assam women lead landmark medal haul at national pickleball championships

Assam’s campaign at the National Pickleball Championships gained national attention after two women delivered breakthrough gold-medal victories, marking one of the state’s strongest performances at the event.

A 25-member contingent represented Assam at the four-day tournament held in Bengaluru from November 13–16, organised by the Karnataka Pickleball Association under the Indian Pickleball Association. More than 1,100 athletes from across the country competed in team and individual categories ranging from under-12 to 70+.

The headline moment came from Anangsha Alomyan, who secured the 30+ women’s singles national title with a commanding run that included a key semifinal win over top seed Priyanka Mehta of Maharashtra. Her victory delivered Assam a rare singles gold at the senior level.

Assam’s rising young pair, Nayeem Hussain and Prapti Baruah, added to the momentum with a decisive 11–3 win in the U16 girls doubles final, underlining the state’s growing strength in junior divisions.

The U16 girls’ team of Baruah, Hussain and Utpalakshee Saikia continued the strong showing by reaching the team-event final after dominant group-stage victories against Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. They finished with silver following a loss to Maharashtra.

In the 30+ women’s team event, Assam claimed bronze after a surprise quarterfinal victory over top-seeded Gujarat. The trio of Alomyan, Manaswinee Hazarika and Upasana Nath fell in the semifinals but secured the podium finish.

Assam’s individual medal tally included silver in women’s singles through Nath, who reached an all-Assam final after defeating Priti Kumari 11–4. Bronze medals were added by Nazneen Rahman in the 50+ women’s singles, Tiken Chandra Basumatary in the 60+ men’s singles, and the doubles pair of Hazarika and Alomyan in the 30+ women’s category.

The results mark a significant leap for Assam in national-level pickleball, with women athletes driving the state’s best performance to date.