Indias Apex Body For Pickleball Receives Official Government Recognition

The Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) has now been officially recognised by the Government of India via the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to act as the national sports federation in the country. It has been entrusted with the responsibility to govern, promote, and develop pickleball across the country. This landmark recognition validates IPA as the sole apex body for the sport in India and marks a turning point in its national and global journey.

With systematic and painstaking groundwork laid by the members of IPA and a fast-growing community behind it, IPA is ready to drive the next chapter: building a nationwide ecosystem of access, excellence, and opportunity. This includes embedding pickleball in schools, communities, and elite training programs, and preparing Indian athletes for the global stage.

The Indian Pickleball Association envisions a robust and inclusive sporting ecosystem built on the following pillars: 100,000 active registered players regularly participating in events and National-level competitions across all age groups. A comprehensive grassroots development programme and the establishment of more National High-Performance Centres for elite training, in addition to existing Centres, are also part of the programme.

A key priority for the IPA is youth player development, training and officiating, and professional pathways and events. To this end, the association is actively working to the rollout of pickleball in schools, through alignment with programmes like Khelo India Women's Pickleball Cup expansion, championing gender inclusion and hosting international coaches conferences to facilitate knowledge exchange and nationwide certification programmes for referees and coaches, creating employment