Pickleball association approaches sports ministry for NSF status

Mumbai: The governing body for pickleball has approached the sports ministry for recognition as a National Sports Federation (NSF) following the successful hosting of the inaugural World Championship here this month, said All India Pickleball Association chief Arvind Prabhoo on Monday.

The World Pickleball Championship was held here from November 12-17 with around 650 players from countries like Australia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Poland, and Singapore, competing in the event.

Prabhoo said the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) had submitted the required documents for getting recognition as an NSF to the ministry and was hopeful of a positive response.

"AIPA submitted the paperwork for recognition to the ministry two months back. One of the hurdles we were facing was that because it was not an Olympic sport, there were challenges," he said in an interaction with PTI.

"We are now pushing for Olympic status for pickleball and, hopefully, in the coming years, it will become an Olympic sport and we are all geared up for that. We are awaiting their (ministry's) response to recognise us as a (national) federation," he said.

He said AIPA had started the process of preparing young Indian players to compete in the Olympics whenever the sport gets included in the quadrennial Games.

"AIPA has already started preparing youngsters for the Olympics. We feel that if not in 2028 (Los Angeles), definitely in 2032 Olympics, pickleball will be incorporated, which gives us eight years," said Prabhoo.

"We have started working on the under-14 kids. We've sent them for events to Vietnam where they played very well. We have started putting our youth into training programmes to ensure that whenever the sport becomes a part of the Olympics, an Indian will win a medal," he said.

He said that the reduced cost of pickleball equipment, including the paddles and the balls, will help the sport compete with other racquet sports such as tennis and badminton.

"Pickleball, in the earlier stages in India, was not affordable because the equipment used to come from the USA, China or Europe. In 2020, an Indian company started manufacturing the paddles, which used to cost Rs 10,000. They started selling it for Rs 2,000. The pickleball, which used to cost Rs 300, now costs Rs 120 in bulk.

"Now, affordability is there and also with a lot of Indian companies coming in, the equipment is going to get cheaper. The space requirement is not very large, unlike tennis and badminton... a shuttlecock costs Rs 300 rupees and it doesn't even last you the whole game. The pickleball lasts for at least three, four days," he said.

Prabhoo said sponsorship is another reason for the sport's growing popularity. "AIPA is (present) in 23 states. We have a very structured organisation. Every state body is taking care of development," he said.

"With funds and sponsorship coming in, AIPA will also be giving funds towards grassroots development in every state.

"Pickleball is very easy on the body, physically it is less demanding. It's a recreational game, it's a lifestyle game — it's a game for the new age and that is why it is picking up so well in India and the rest of the world."