Veer Shah settled the score in his burgeoning rivalry with Panth Thakkar, clinching the Boys Under-16 title at India’s first-ever Junior Pickleball Championship, a PWR 400 tournament, at the Dink Masters Academy in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Coming into the event on the back of three runners-up finishes at the Sportify Dink Master, Veer, the winner of IPA Nationals titles in the U14 Boys Singles and Doubles categories, gave a strong account of himself to win the U16 Boys Singles title.
Also Read: IPA Introduces New Framework to Streamline Junior Pickleball Development
Of the three finals that Veer lost at the event in Anand in April, two came against Panth, who trounced Veer in the Open Men’s Singles as well as the Under-19 Men’s Doubles finals.
But at India’s first-ever Junior Pickleball Championship, Veer came out all guns blazing to beat Panth 21-12 in the final.
Meanwhile, Vivan Patel claimed third place as he edged past Aariv Raj Khanna 15-12.
Also Read: ‘Star in the Making’ Panth Thakkar Confident of Qualifying for Pickleball World Cup
Earlier, both Veer and Panth played their hearts out, winning their matches in dominant fashion. Veer beat Devansh Menariya 15-3 to open his campaign before getting the better of Arhaan Mehta 21-11. In the semifinals, he won a close encounter against Vivan 21-18.
Panth, on the other hand, began his campaign with a 15-4 win over Lakshya Meena before making light work of Kaveer Mehta 21-11. In the semifinals, he eased past Aariv 21–14. However, in the final, the eighth meeting between the two in less than a year, Veer prevailed to claim the coveted trophy and level their head-to-head rivalry at 4-4.
About Indian Pickleball Association:
The Indian Pickleball Association is the official governing body for pickleball in India and is dedicated to promoting, developing, and organizing the sport across the country. The association continues to inspire players of all ages and skill levels to embrace the game through events like the IPA Nationals. IPA is affiliated with the Asian Pickleball Association (APA) and the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF).
About Pickleball World Ranking:
PWR is a national ranking system that spans all age groups, skill divisions, and formats -including singles, doubles, and mixed categories. It serves as the official National Sports Federation Ranking for India. With multiple sanctioned events taking place every week across the country, PWR defines the top Indian players at every level and forms the foundation for team selection at the school, district, state, and national stages.
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