Building on the success of its inaugural event last year, Vibha raised the bar with the Second Annual FutureTech Vibha Pickleball Tournament, held May 9-10. The tournament expanded its number of brackets, moved to an indoor venue, and attracted greater participation and stronger competition. Proceeds will support educational projects benefiting children in India and the United States.
Vibha volunteers regularly organize fundraisers, including pickleball and golf tournaments, Dream Mile events, and celebrity galas, to advance the organization’s vision of providing high-quality public education for every child.
The Atlanta Pickleball Alliance, led by Sunil Punathil, partnered with Vibha and provided the expertise needed for the professional execution of the tournament. Demonstrating Vibha’s volunteer spirit, first-time co-ordinators Sudarshan Srikanthan and Balaji Kamepalli stepped up to organize the event and helped make it a success.
“This tournament is not just a sporting event—it is a celebration of teamwork, community, and the spirit of giving back,” said Balaji Kamepalli, speaking on behalf of the organizing team. “The enthusiasm and generosi- ty shown by everyone reaffirmed the power of sports to unite people and create a positive impact through Vibha.” One of the tournament’s most exciting contests came in the DUPR Rating 4.0+ Men’s Doubles championship, where Parth Vora and Umesh Kumar defeated Patrick Chu and Sahil Sharma, 11-7, 11-7, to capture the title. Other division winners included Gopalakrishna Pola and Hemant Pandey in the Men’s 3.5-4.0 Doubles category; Goutham Goli and Ravi Surapaneni in Men’s 3.0-3.5 Doubles; Rajesh Kumar Nachireddy and Deepak Lalam in Under 3.0 Men’s Doubles; Maya Henriquez and Diego Henriquez in Mixed Doubles 4.0 and above; Kelly Kuchta and Mike Scott in Mixed Doubles 3.0-3.5; and Lillian Nguyen and Prasad Palla in Mixed Doubles 3.0 and Under.
In the women’s divisions, Vrishali Desh and Mireia Acebo won the Women’s 3.0-3.5 title, while Divya Limbachiya and Neetu Singh captured the Women’s 3.0 and Under championship. Mina Menon and Rashmi Deulkar won the 50+ Women’s 3.0 and Under division.
Sravan Vellanki, president and CEO of FutureTech, the tournament’s title sponsor, thanked participants for supporting Vibha’s mission and presented trophies to the champions. Additional awards were presented by longtime Vibha supporters Sanjeev Thirath, founder of Pyramid Consulting; Gowtham Goli, founder and CEO of RapidIT; and Rahul Gandhi, president of Redgram Wealth Management.
Vibha also thanked Goli for opening the doors of the Atlanta Badminton Club, whose indoor facilities helped accommodate the tournament’s growth. Organizers credited participants, sponsors, volunteers, and community supporters for making the event a success and helping advance Vibha’s educational mission.