The Indian Open 2026 is ready to make historical past as the primary Indian Pickleball Affiliation (IPA)-sanctioned PWR 1000 occasion, marking a major partnership between the IPA and match organiser International Sports activities.
Scheduled from 1 to five April 2026 on the Crosscourts in Hyderabad, Telangana, the match is anticipated to draw greater than 1,500 individuals competing throughout 56 classes. A prize pool of USD $50,000 will likely be on the road, based on a press launch.
The upcoming version would be the fourth Indian Open organised by International Sports activities. In earlier years, the occasion has drawn greater than 4,000 pickleball gamers from 19 nations throughout all classes, underscoring its rising stature on the worldwide stage.
This yr’s version carries added significance after receiving official sanctioning from the IPA. The transfer is anticipated to legitimise the occasion’s construction and handle a long-standing hole within the Indian pickleball ecosystem.
The partnership formally integrates India’s largest non-public pickleball match collection into the nationwide governance framework beneath the IPA. The affiliation is the only real governing physique for pickleball in India after receiving Nationwide Sports activities Federation standing from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports activities. As a part of the settlement, all future International Sports activities occasions will now fall beneath the IPA’s jurisdiction.
Suryaveersingh Bhullar, President of the IPA, described the collaboration as a serious step ahead for the game within the nation.
“This partnership is a milestone for Indian sports activities. By bringing International Sports activities into the IPA fold, we’re making certain that each volley performed within the Indian Open contributes to a single, unified imaginative and prescient for the nation. We’re dedicated to offering our athletes with a world-class platform that’s ruled by the very best requirements of integrity and excellence,” Bhullar mentioned.
Shashank Khaitan, Co-Founder and Associate of International Sports activities and a Bollywood author and director, mentioned the partnership strengthens the organisation’s mission to develop pickleball in India.
“At International Sports activities, our mission has all the time been to construct a sturdy infrastructure for Pickleball. Aligning with the IPA permits us to formalise our efforts and guarantee our gamers obtain the nationwide recognition they deserve. The International Sports activities Indian Open turning into a PWR 1000 occasion is just the start of a protracted and fruitful journey to make India a worldwide hub for the game,” Khaitan mentioned.
International Sports activities has performed a key function in staging main pickleball tournaments in India, together with the Monsoon Pickleball Championship and the not too long ago concluded Grand Slam. With the Indian Open now upgraded to PWR 1000 standing, the occasion will introduce a uniform rating system and centralised governance, creating official participant pathways, standardised competitors ranges, and improved knowledge integrity for athletes.
