Lucknow: Wheelchair pickleball players from across Uttar Pradesh will gather in Lucknow on September 20 for state-level selection trials to choose the Uttar Pradesh team for the upcoming First National Wheelchair Pickleball Championship.
The trials are being organised by the Uttar Pradesh Wheelchair Pickleball Association with the support and management of Divyang Foundation. The selection process will be held from 11 am to 2 pm at Pickle Dome, Tiwari Ganj, near BBD University, Lucknow.
Dr Nafis Siddiqui, president of the Uttar Pradesh Wheelchair Pickleball Association, said the First National Wheelchair Pickleball Championship is scheduled to be held in Karnataka in November 2026. The state trials will be used to select players who will represent Uttar Pradesh at the national championship.
He said eligible and talented wheelchair pickleball players from across the state would get an opportunity to demonstrate their skills during the trials. The selection process will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with prescribed rules.
Praveen Singh Sengar, CEO and founder of the Wheelchair Pickleball Federation of India, said wheelchair pickleball was gaining popularity globally and that efforts were underway to promote the sport in India and create opportunities for players with disabilities to compete at the international level.
Sengar said the sport had recently been recognised by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). The federation aims to strengthen wheelchair pickleball in the country and eventually develop an Indian national team capable of competing against teams from other countries, he said.
Players participating in the selection trials will be required to bring a passport-size photograph, disability certificate, UDID card, Aadhaar card, their own wheelchair and pickleball paddle. The association has urged all eligible and interested players to attend the trials on the scheduled date and time and compete for an opportunity to represent Uttar Pradesh at the national level.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
