In a landmark move affecting sports administration in India, the Delhi High Court has asked the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to explain, through a detailed affidavit, why it chose to recognise the Indian Pickleball Association.
This directive follows a challenge brought by the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA), the sport’s oldest national body.
AIPA’s Legacy & International Standing
Founded in 2007, AIPA has spent nearly two decades driving Pickleball’s expansion across India, establishing state units in 24 regions. Beyond its domestic work, AIPA helped form the International Pickleball Federation (IPF) and the Asian Pickleball Federation (APF). It secured official ties with these continental and global federations in 2015 and 2020, respectively, underscoring its claim as the sport’s most experienced governing body in the country.
Challenge To IPA’s Recognition
Earlier this year, MYAS granted the newly formed IPA the status of India’s official Pickleball federation. In its petition, AIPA contends that this decision contravenes the National Sports Development Code of India. One key provision of that Code requires any body seeking recognition to have operated continuously for at least three years—a condition AIPA argues IPA has not satisfied.
Taking note of these objections, a bench of the Delhi High Court has ordered MYAS to lay out its reasoning, particularly if any waivers or special dispensations from the three-year rule were granted. The court has slated the matter for an interim hearing on May 19, 2025, during which it will consider whether the Ministry’s process was both transparent and legally sound.
AIPA’s Legal Team & Argument
Representing AIPA, Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan was supported by Advocates Hemant Phalpher, Jaya Phalpher, and R. Iyer. In a statement submitted to the court, AIPA charged that the recognition order “is not sustainable and is arbitrary under the law.” Advocate Hemant Phalpher went further, warning that diluting the Sports Code “will damage the entire sporting ecosystem” by undermining the principles of fairness and accountability designed to govern national sports federations.
Legal experts note that this dispute could set an important precedent. If MYAS is permitted to bypass eligibility norms, it may open the door for other nascent bodies to seek recognition without meeting established criteria, potentially fragmenting authority and sowing confusion among athletes, sponsors, and international federations.
AIPA’s Continued Role In Pickleball Development
Despite the pending litigation, AIPA remains actively involved in Pickleball’s grassroots and elite-level programmes nationwide. Its ongoing affiliations with the IPF and APF ensure it retains a voice in rule-making and international tournament organisation, while it continues staging coaching clinics, state championships, and national ranking events.
With the affidavit due shortly and the next court date set for mid-May, all eyes in India’s sports community are on this case. The outcome will not only determine which body governs Pickleball but may also influence future interpretations of the Sports Code across all disciplines.
Read More: Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, States High Court, International
