World Pickleball Federation Olympic Push: Two major pickleball groups, the World Pickleball Federation and the International Pickleball Federation, have joined forces to help pickleball become an Olympic sport, possibly by 2028. This new united body hopes to prove the sport’s huge popularity and run global events that meet Olympic standards.
A Push for Olympic Status
Seymour Rifkind, who started the World Pickleball Federation, explained that the International Olympic Committee requires any sport to have just one international federation.
“There’s probably about 300 to 400 pages of documents that need to be put together in order to formally apply to the IOC,” (Seymour Rifkind on the PicklePod show).
This work will take three or four more months. During that time, the group will pick a Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, recruit volunteers, and choose a new name.
Proving Pickleball’s Popularity
A recent study by UPA Asia and YouGov Singapore showed that pickleball is much bigger in Asia than many thought. In 12 Asian areas, about 1.9 billion people have heard of the game, 812 million have tried it, and 282 million play it monthly.
Seymour Rifkind believes this data will help the sport’s Olympic bid.
“One of the biggest next steps once a new board is put into place in August and our committees are filled out is hosting a World Pickleball Games,”.
The International Olympic Committee wants to see if pickleball can run a big international event.
One Country, One Vote
More than 100 countries supported merging the two federations into one. The group will be based in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the International Olympic Committee also sits.
The organization plans to meet several key requirements, including:
Equal voting rights for all nations
Transparent rules and budgets
Fair treatment of male and female athletes
Following anti-doping rules
Solving disputes fairly
Obeying the Olympic Charter
Other Groups in the Mix
Another group, the Global Pickleball Federation, backed by USA Pickleball, also wants to lead the sport’s Olympic journey. It has already taken steps in Lausanne to move toward IOC recognition.
But Seymour Rifkind is not impressed. He said,
“The Global Pickleball Federation, for all of their talk, their bylaws are not IOC compliant.”
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Can It Happen by 2028?
Even with this progress, Seymour Rifkind knows the chances for 2028 are slim. He said the biggest challenge so far has been the sport itself because it was split into three groups.
But now, there is hope with one united voice.
“The International Olympic Committee, I can tell you, loves pickleball,”. “Our biggest problem has been us.”(Seymour Rifkind)
Though he believes there is still a chance for 2028, he estimates the odds are under 25 percent. Still, he shared what an IOC official told him:
“If we want you in, you’re in. Period.”
News in Brief: World Pickleball Federation Olympic Push
Two main pickleball federations have merged to help the sport join the Olympics, maybe as soon as 2028. The new group will prove the sport’s global growth and plans to hold a major event to show readin ess. Leaders say it’s a big step forward despite tough challenges.
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