India’s wheelchair tennis men’s team made headlines by capturing bronze at the World Team Cup Asia Qualifier 2026, demolishing Chinese Taipei 3-0 in Bengaluru. This ITF-organized showdown, wheelchair tennis’s Davis Cup counterpart, highlighted the sport’s intensity across Asia.
Featuring Shekhar Veeraswami (210), Basavaraj Kundargi (185), Kartik Karunakaran (351), the team overcame adversity. Korea inflicted 0-3: Sungbong (46) vs. Karunakaran 6-1, 6-1; Ho Won (61) vs. Kundargi 6-1, 6-2; doubles Jihwan (52)-Sungbong 6-3, 6-2.
Hosts Sri Lanka mirrored 0-3: Ranawira (63) d. Veeraswami 6-2, 6-0; Dharmasena (78) d. Kundargi 6-0, 6-0; doubles 6-3, 6-3.
A 3-0 mastery over Pakistan signaled turnaround: Karunakaran bageled Firas (156) 6-0, 6-0; Veeraswami d. Hussain (173) 6-0, 6-1; doubles 6-0, 6-0.
Bronze locked with 3-0 over Taipei: Karunakaran d. Tang (84) 6-1, 6-1; Veeraswami d. Wang (92) 6-1, 6-2; doubles d. Cheng (101)-Tang 6-1, 6-0. Karnataka’s influence amplified India’s regional impact.
Peter Vijay Kumar, coach-captain, stated, ‘Debut third-place bronze for men’s team. Superb play, team harmony, evident progress. Bronze at this rigorous stage is exemplary.’
Women—Shilpa (70), Prathima (83), Mubina (112)—fought hard. Korea 3-0: Inkyung d. Prathima 6-0, 6-0; Juyun d. Shilpa 6-1, 6-1; doubles 6-0, 6-0.
China 3-0: Ziying d. Prathima 6-1, 6-0; Xiaohui d. Shilpa 6-0, 6-1; doubles 6-0, 6-0.
Vs. Kazakhstan: Umutkulova d. Prathima 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3); Shilpa d. Butimbayeva 6-4, 6-4; doubles 6-2, 6-7(1), [10-5] for 2-1 Kazakh win.
This bronze cements India’s wheelchair tennis momentum.