Delhi High Court Orders Sports Ministry to Justify NSF Status for Indian Pickleball Association

Court Directs Sports Ministry on Pickleball Federation Status

New Delhi [India] May 15: Arvind Prabhoo, the President of the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA), announced that the Delhi High Court has mandated the Ministry of Youth and Sports to provide a written justification for granting National Sports Federation (NSF) status to the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA).

The AIPA has expressed strong opposition to the Sports Ministry's decision, which was communicated in a letter dated April 25, as stated in a press release from AIPA.

According to AIPA, this decision seems to have been swayed by improper lobbying and misleading claims from the newly established IPA, which was formed in November 2024, thereby overshadowing AIPA's 18 years of contributions to the sport.

In an interview, Arvind Prabhoo stated, "We have challenged this in court, and the honorable court has instructed the Ministry of Youth and Sports to provide an affidavit justifying the relaxation granted to the Indian Pickleball Association. We are expecting to hear more about this on the upcoming Monday, the 19th."

Last Sunday, AIPA sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasizing the ongoing neglect of Pickleball's recognition by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) over the past 18 years.

Prabhoo remarked, "We have reached out to the Prime Minister's Office, requesting their intervention in this matter, as we believe it represents an injustice to us and the entire All India Pickleball Association."

Founded in 2007, AIPA is recognized as the oldest and most representative governing body for pickleball in India, with active federations across 24 states. The association has significantly contributed to the sport's development for nearly two decades and is a founding member of both the International Pickleball Federation (IPF) and the Asian Pickleball Federation (APF), receiving official affiliations in 2015 and 2020, respectively.

AIPA has raised concerns that the recognition granted to IPA by the Sports Ministry was made after relaxing essential eligibility criteria outlined in the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011, which include:

— Minimum three-year existence: According to Para 3.3 of Annexure-II of the Sports Code 2011, a sports federation must operate for at least three years before being eligible for NSF recognition. Since the IPA was established in November 2024, it does not meet this requirement.

— State-level representation: The Sports Code requires that a federation's State/UT unit must be affiliated with at least 50% of district-level associations in that area to be considered valid. There is no credible evidence that IPA or its state units fulfill this condition.

AIPA remains dedicated to promoting fair play, sportsmanship, and transparent governance in sports, urging the Ministry to promptly reassess and amend the decision for the greater good of Pickleball and the Indian sports community.