The Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), officially recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as the National Sports Federation (NSF) for pickleball in India, issued a strongly worded statement denouncing the activities of the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA).
In the statement, dated 6 August 2025, the IPA accused the AIPA of “misrepresentation, unauthorised activities, and continued disregard for (Sports) Ministry’s decision”.
“The unauthorised use of ‘India’ in AIPA’s name, and of state names by its affiliates, is a clear breach of Indian law,” the IPA’s statement read, citing the Sports Code 2011 that restricts usage of the country’s name only by recognised federations and their affiliates.
The tussle between the two rival governing bodies started in April 2025 when the Ministry decided to grant recognition to IPA as the sole governing body for pickleball in the country, overlooking the earlier-established AIPA. As a result, IPA is eligible to receive government funding and regulatory authority under the National Sports Development Code of India.
The AIPA, founded in 2007, has protested the decision and sought intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
IPA Lists ‘Money-Making’ Activities Of AIPA
Other than the usage of ‘India’ in their name, the IPA listed a range of activities by AIPA, which it termed as ‘gross misconduct’. The first among those is AIPA’s plan of hosting a “World Pickleball Championship” in India. The IPA termed it a “privately run commercial tournament”, alleging its link to an Indonesian individual named Jan Papi.
The IPA claimed that the potential entry of foreign players into India on tourist visas for commercial purposes would violate Indian laws and pose “security threats to the nation”.
The IPA also slammed the rogue body for trying to create independent equipment testing certifications, which it termed as a “money-making racket”. It claimed that government-sanctioned tournaments inside or outside India will not permit AIPA’s equipment.
Equally problematic, according to IPA, are the referee and coaching certification programmes conducted by AIPA. “These programmes have no approval from either the Indian Pickleball Association or the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,” the statement read.
With pickleball barely beginning to gain a foothold in the country, the legal troubles between the two rival bodies have made for an ominous start.
