Mumbai, 14th October, 2026: The 10th All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) National Pickleball Championship, powered by Skechers, Where Comfort is a Technology™, concluded on 4 October. More than 1,000 athletes and officials from more than 25 states and Union Territories competed across nine junior, senior and veteran age categories over four days in Kochi, Kerala. 

The championship saw a strong showing, led by the 18+ Open category. Deepak Paswan (Jharkhand) claimed the Boys Singles title and also reached the Boys Doubles final with Sonu Kumar Vishwakarma, finishing runners-up, while Rajiv Kumar (Bihar) took the runner-up spot in Boys Singles. Vrushali Thakare (Maharashtra) was the standout performer with two gold medals, winning Girls Doubles with Anuja Maheswari and Mixed Doubles with Ajay Chaudhari. Ritam Chawla (Haryana) added a podium finish as 2nd runner-up in Mixed Doubles with Nagita Nishad. Among the juniors, Stuti (Chandigarh) finished as runner-up in U-18 Girls Singles, and Angel Khokhar (Haryana) was runner-up in U-18 Girls Doubles with Nagita Nishad. 

Skechers Pickleball Ambassadors Sonu Kumar Vishwakarma and Vrushali Thakare competed at the championship alongside the country's top players. Sonu first picked up a paddle on a makeshift rooftop court in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, and has since become one of India's leading players, competing on the international circuit and in the World Pickleball League. Vrushali, one of Maharashtra's top women players, is part of a growing generation of athletes pursuing pickleball as a professional career. 

Speaking on the championship, Rahul Vira, CEO, Skechers South Asia Pvt. Ltd., said, "Ten editions in, the Nationals show how far competitive pickleball has come in India. The depth of talent across the junior and senior draws in Kochi was remarkable. We see pickleball as a performance sport, Skechers Performance is here to back the athletes playing it at that level, with our innovative footwear as they build their careers. Powering the Nationals is part of that long-term commitment." 

The championship builds on Skechers' ongoing partnership with AIPA. Through it, the brand supports players from the junior circuit through to national and international competition. Its Skechers Viper Court collection is built for the quick lateral movement on the pickleball court and stop-start play the sport demands. 

The championship builds on Skechers' ongoing partnership with AIPA. Through it, the brand supports players from the junior circuit through to national and international competition. Its Skechers Viper Court collection is built for the quick lateral movement on the pickleball court and stop-start play the sport demands.