Pickleball lands in Indian court: AIPA accuses IPA of misleading Sports Ministry for recognition

The sport of pickleball in India has found a new court – the Delhi High Court as the judicial body has asked the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) to explain their recent decision to grant national sports federation (NSF) status to the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) instead of the much older All India Pickleball Association (AIPA).

The IPA was recognised as India’s national federation for pickleball on 25 April by the Sports Ministry. The recognition gives IPA the exclusive rights to receive financial grants from the government, and autonomy to regulate, promote and develop the sport nationally.

AIPA has challenged the grounds on which IPA was afforded the recognition by the Indian Sports Ministry, when it’s only a “six-month-old” body, while they were established in 2007 and are currently present in 24 states through their state federations.

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The Sports Ministry is required to provide reasoning and justification for granting any exemptions under the National Sports Development Code of India by 19 May 2025.

AIPA president Arvind Prabhoo, in an exclusive conversation with Firstpost, has alleged that IPA has attained recognition by misleading the Sports Ministry

“How can the Ministry relax statutory requirements when there’s an existing federation available and that has already applied?” Prabhoo told Firstpost. “I think the Ministry was misled by making some representation; we are not very sure, but according to me, the Ministry has been misled about certain facts by the other federation.”

Prabhoo added that the AIPA has about 10,000 athletes associated with it and has been working to develop pickleball in India for more than a decade, making it the most eligible federation to earn recognition as the national federation.

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“AIPA is in 24 states. We have about 10,000 players who are directly associated with us,” Prabhoo added. “We hold four national ranking tournaments and we hold one national tournament every year. We have held eight national tournaments since 2013 and we have done two international tournaments. One was in 2022 and one was in 2024, the World Pickleball Championships.

“We have sent our players to Asian countries where we have won  gold at Asian Pickleball Games two times in a row in Taiwan and our players are also World Pickleball Championships gold medallists, so we have over 100 international medals with our players.”

Further making a case for AIPA, Prabhoo said being a federation for over 10 years and present in multiple states, it complies with key statutory requirements laid down in the National Sports Development Code of India to be recognised as an NSF.

“The Indian sports ministry has recognised the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), which is a six-month-old association. It was formed in November 2024. We had already applied for recognition in October 2024, one month prior to even the formation of IPA. Now it has come as a big surprise, relaxing the two statutory requirements that the federation should be at least three years in operation and that it has to be present in 50% of the states.

“In the 25 April order, the ministry has relaxed two key statutory requirements.”

Prabhoo revealed that while they had not been able to meet the Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya so far, they were always under the impression that they would be granted the recognition based on their long history.

“We were having talks with some people with the ministry and we were hoping that if there are any requirements from our end, we were ready to meet and fulfil that. Our founder, Sunil Walavalka,r also met Raksha Khadse (Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India) one and a half months ago. We were unable to meet Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as he was very busy. We met officials and secretaries there, asking if there’s anything that needs to be done,” he said.

“As far as the secretary is concerned, we were informed we were absolutely inline to get the recognition. There was no other compliance required. She did mention we should try and meet the honourable minister because the other federation also had made a presentation directly to the minister. But we were trying to meet the minister but we could not get an appointment. In fact, there was a call made on our behalf by a senior member of the government whereby the honourable minister had assured the senior member that he would call me personally, that is, Arvind Prabhoo and other members of the federation but that never happened. So this has come as a big shock and surprise that, without giving us a chance to represent ourselves, the order came out.”

The Sports Ministry’s decision in favour of IPA, which was registered last year, how now forced AIPA to move Delhi High Court and they are ready to take the fight to the Supreme Court if required.

“We will go to the Supreme Court. That is very clear. If we don’t get relief in the High Court, we will approach the Supreme Court. We are willing to talk to the Sports Ministry and meet the honourable Minister,” Prabhoo signed off.