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Within 25 months of picking up their paddles for the first time in April 2023, sisters Pearl and Naomi Amalsadiwala, aged 18 and 15 years respectively, have made their mark on the international pickleball scene. Pickleball is played with a smooth faced paddle bigger than a table tennis racquet and a wiffle ball (perforated, hollow plastic ball) over a tennis-type net on a badminton-sized court. At the Dubai Pickleball Open in May 2025, they clinched a bronze medal in the Pro Women’s Doubles category where they faced a pool of 16 competitors. 

  above: Pearl (l) and Naomi 

Practicing 12 to 15 hours a week, the teenagers have established themselves as "a formidable women’s doubles duo in India.” In June 2025 they won a gold in the Gujarat Open Pickleball tournament in the Pro Women’s Doubles. Pearl additionally bagged three more golds in Advance Mix Doubles, Women’s Split Doubles and Advance Women’s Doubles, silver in Pro Mixed Doubles and bronze in Advance Women’s Singles. Naomi picked up an additional silver in the Advance Mix Doubles and bronze in Split Age Doubles at the meet. "What began as a recreational activity quickly turned into a passion and a pathway to excellence,” stated their mother Meher when sending Parsiana the highlights of their accomplishments since 2023.

At the All India Pickleball Association National Championships in Gujarat in 2023, both of them won two medals each. Besides winning a gold in the Under 18 Women’s Doubles, Pearl won a second gold in the Under 18 Mixed Doubles while Naomi earned a silver in the same event. Their outstanding performance caught the attention of Global Sports — a company dedicated to promoting pickleball  — leading to their sponsorship and further exposure in the sport. At the International Pickleball Pro League, organized for the first time in Bombay by Global Sports, Pearl and Naomi representing the Jaipur Jawans team were among the top 60 players from all over the world participating in this match.

Last year saw the duo make their international debut at the English Open 2024 in Telford, UK. Competing against top players across the globe, both of them reached the semi finals in the Women’s Singles in their respective categories. At the 4.5 level Pearl was able to consistently demonstrate strong foundational skills and strategic play. As an intermediate player at 4.0 level Naomi proved she has a strong foundation and is developing more advanced skills and strategy. 

The seeds of this sporting journey were sown by the girls’ parents Nozer and Meher who have been playing competitive pickleball over several years. At the Nationals in 2023, in the 35+ age group, Meher won a gold in Women’s Doubles and bronze in Mixed Doubles. At the same meet, in the 50+ age category, Nozer had won the silver in Men’s Singles as also Men’s Doubles. In the same year he was appointed captain of the Indian contingent at the Asia Pickleball Championship in Taiwan. In 2024 he was captain of the Indian Seniors team at the World Pickleball Championship in Peru when in the 50+ age category he won a gold in the Men’s Doubles, silver in the Mixed Doubles and bronze in the Men’s Singles. Yet another gold in Men’s Doubles came at the Dubai Open in May 2025. 

Unofficially referred to as the "Pickleball family,” the four of them usually practice at the Andheri Sports Complex or other venues between Bandra and Malad. The sports loving family enjoys playing other games too. Earlier Pearl was a national ranked table tennis player who also participated in volleyball, badminton, carom and box cricket matches. Naomi was a gymnast who also played volleyball, carom and badminton. Meher plays throwball and Nozer plays table tennis, badminton, box cricket and carom apart from occasional tennis.

While Pearl is a second year BCom student at Narsee Monjee College, Naomi will join junior college this year. "Their grades do get affected due to their practice and tournament schedule but their alma mater, Maneckji Cooper Education Trust, had been most supportive and even encouraging which eased their challenge to balance studies and sports,” acknowledged the mother. Working with Viterra India, Meher leads initiatives in employee engagement and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Through his proprietary concern NSportz, Nozer is involved in corporate sports events and also tutors school and college students. Meher described the family as "God loving individuals believing in prayer but not heavily into the rituals.”