Pickleball lands in Indian courtroom: AIPA accuses IPA of deceptive Sports activities Ministry for recognition

The game of pickleball in India has discovered a brand new courtroom – the Delhi Excessive Courtroom because the judicial physique has requested the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports activities (MYAS) to clarify their latest choice to grant nationwide sports activities federation (NSF) standing to the Indian Pickleball Affiliation (IPA) as a substitute of the a lot older All India Pickleball Affiliation (AIPA).

The IPA was recognised as India’s nationwide federation for pickleball on 25 April by the Sports activities Ministry. The popularity offers IPA the unique rights to obtain monetary grants from the federal government, and autonomy to manage, promote and develop the game nationally.

AIPA has challenged the grounds on which IPA was afforded the popularity by the Indian Sports activities Ministry, when it’s solely a “six-month-old” physique, whereas they have been established in 2007 and are presently current in 24 states by way of their state federations.

The Sports activities Ministry is required to supply reasoning and justification for granting any exemptions underneath the Nationwide Sports activities Growth Code of India by 19 Could 2025.

AIPA president Arvind Prabhoo, in an unique dialog with Firstpost, has alleged that IPA has attained recognition by deceptive the Sports activities Ministry

“How can the Ministry chill out statutory necessities when there’s an present federation accessible and that has already utilized?” Prabhoo informed Firstpost. “I feel the Ministry was misled by making some illustration; we’re not very positive, however in response to me, the Ministry has been misled about sure information by the opposite federation.”

Prabhoo added that the AIPA has about 10,000 athletes related to it and has been working to develop pickleball in India for greater than a decade, making it essentially the most eligible federation to earn recognition because the nationwide federation.

“AIPA is in 24 states. We now have about 10,000 gamers who’re immediately related to us,” Prabhoo added. “We maintain 4 nationwide rating tournaments and we maintain one nationwide match yearly. We now have held eight nationwide tournaments since 2013 and now we have executed two worldwide tournaments. One was in 2022 and one was in 2024, the World Pickleball Championships.

“We now have despatched our gamers to Asian international locations the place now we have gained  gold at Asian Pickleball Video games two occasions in a row in Taiwan and our gamers are additionally World Pickleball Championships gold medallists, so now we have over 100 worldwide medals with our gamers.”

Additional making a case for AIPA, Prabhoo stated being a federation for over 10 years and current in a number of states, it complies with key statutory necessities laid down within the Nationwide Sports activities Growth Code of India to be recognised as an NSF.

“The Indian sports activities ministry has recognised the Indian Pickleball Affiliation (IPA), which is a six-month-old affiliation. It was fashioned in November 2024. We had already utilized for recognition in October 2024, one month previous to even the formation of IPA. Now it has come as an enormous shock, stress-free the 2 statutory necessities that the federation must be no less than three years in operation and that it needs to be current in 50% of the states.

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“Within the 25 April order, the ministry has relaxed two key statutory necessities.”

Prabhoo revealed that whereas they’d not been capable of meet the Sports activities Minister Mansukh Mandaviya thus far, they have been at all times underneath the impression that they might be granted the popularity based mostly on their lengthy historical past.

“We have been having talks with some folks with the ministry and we have been hoping that if there are any necessities from our finish, we have been prepared to fulfill and fulfil that. Our founder, Sunil Walavalka,r additionally met Raksha Khadse (Minister of State within the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports activities of India) one and a half months in the past. We have been unable to fulfill Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as he was very busy. We met officers and secretaries there, asking if there’s something that must be executed,” he stated.

“So far as the secretary is worried, we have been knowledgeable we have been completely inline to get the popularity. There was no different compliance required. She did point out we must always try to meet the honourable minister as a result of the opposite federation additionally had made a presentation on to the minister. However we have been attempting to fulfill the minister however we couldn’t get an appointment. In actual fact, there was a name made on our behalf by a senior member of the federal government whereby the honourable minister had assured the senior member that he would name me personally, that’s, Arvind Prabhoo and different members of the federation however that by no means occurred. So this has come as an enormous shock and shock that, with out giving us an opportunity to signify ourselves, the order got here out.”

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The Sports activities Ministry’s choice in favour of IPA, which was registered final 12 months, how now pressured AIPA to maneuver Delhi Excessive Courtroom and they’re able to take the combat to the Supreme Courtroom if required.

“We are going to go to the Supreme Courtroom. That may be very clear. If we don’t get reduction within the Excessive Courtroom, we’ll method the Supreme Courtroom. We’re keen to speak to the Sports activities Ministry and meet the honourable Minister,” Prabhoo signed off.