The All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) publicly objected to the latest action of the Indian government to grant official National Sports Federation (NSF) status to the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) for the sport of pickleball, requesting an immediate reconsideration of the action. AIPA claims that IPA's recognition is the result of lobbying and misrepresentation, and states that it has the potential to bring a bad name to India in international sports.
AIPA, which hosted the first-ever World Pickleball Championship in Mumbai in 2024 with the participation of 16 countries, had itself approached the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports last November with the papers necessary for NSF recognition. The association argues that it has been pioneering the development and growth of pickleball at the grassroots level in India, including hosting major international tournaments and grooming young players for potential Olympic inclusion.
The Sports Ministry's move, ratified in a letter dated April 25, grants IPA NSF status for two years but places it under watch for compliance with the sports code and denies it government funding for now.
Despite this, AIPA maintains that the process was not transparent and that IPA's assertion of national leadership does not represent the sport's actual stakeholders in the country.
AIPA's leadership has called for an urgent and thorough review of the recognition process, appealing to authorities to consider the greater interests of the sport and its athletes. The scandal has created an administrative impasse, with both bodies vying for legitimacy and control over the rapidly growing sport in India.
This step highlights endemic issues of Indian sports administration where concerns of legitimacy, transparency, and stakeholder representation continue to be matters of controversy and litigation.
