India's Team Raju has been confirmed as a participant in the 2026 Karuizawa International, set for September 17-20 in Karuizawa, Japan, making them the first team from India ever to compete at the prestigious event.

One of Japan's premier international competitions, the Karuizawa International draws top teams from around the world each year and has established itself as one of Asia's leading curling events.

The tournament now holds added significance as a Grand Slam of Curling Satellite Event for the 2026-27 season, meaning the winner earns an invitation to a Grand Slam event.

The entry continues a remarkable stretch of milestone moments for Team Raju, who became the first Indian men's team to podium at both a World Curling event and on the World Curling Tour, and recently made their debut on Japanese ice at the Hokkaido Curling Tour.

Earlier this spring, skip P.N. Raju led his squad -- third Girithar Anthay Suthakaran, second Sudheer Reddy, and lead Kishan Vasant -- to a qualification berth at the inaugural World Championship Pre-Qualifier in Dumfries, Scotland, further cementing their standing as the driving force behind curling's growth in India.