New Global Merger Tackles Pickleball Olympic Bid: 'Our Biggest Problem Has Been Us'

World Pickleball Federation Founder Seymour Rifkind joined the PicklePod to explain why the sport is poised for an Olympic appearance as soon as 2028.

Pickleball's rightful spot in the Olympic Games has been argued over since long before most people picked up a paddle during COVID. But a few major developments makes its prospects feel more real than ever.

First, some eye-opening numbers have emerged from a new UPA Asia study, which puts the number of people across 12 Asian territories playing pickleball at least once per month at a seismic 282 million.

And just last week, two global organizations – the World Pickleball Federation (WPF) and International Pickleball Federation (IPF) – merged into one entity, with a primary focus of positioning pickleball as the fastest-growing sport not just in America, but the world.

It's a big step toward Olympic recognition. Here's what comes next.

The WPF-IPF Merger

To be considered as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and participate in the Olympics Games, WPF Founder Seymour Rifkind said on the latest PicklePod, a sport needs to be represented by a sole international federation.

It's a rigorous process, designed to weed out all but the most serious of prospective members. Rifkind and the WPF, he says, are very serious.

"There's probably about 300 to 400 pages of documents that need to be put together in order to formally apply to the IOC," he told PicklePod host Zane Zavratil.

That's about three or four more months of work to get together. During that time, the new entity needs to hire a CEO and a COO, amass an army of volunteers, and come up with a new name.

Then, it needs to show the IOC that pickleball is the global juggernaut it claims to be.

"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," said Rifkind. "One of the things that the IOC is going to want to see, 'OK, so you've got all these countries, it's popular. Now, can you run a major international tournament?"

One Country, One Vote

Last week, member countries of the WPF and IPF met and voted unanimously to unify into a single international governing body.

The unified entity – made up of more than 100 countries, says Rifkind – will uniquely continue to champion “One Country One Vote” – ensuring proper representation for all nations.

To align with the global sports community and meet the highest standards of governance, the new WPF will register its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland — home to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

It's also committed to meeting all IOC recognition requirements, including:

• Democratic governance and equal voting rights for all member nations
• Transparent operations and financial oversight • Gender equity and athlete representation
• Compliance with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards
• Conflict resolution and disciplinary frameworks
• Adherence to the Olympic Charter

The Staggering Growth in Asia

Rikind cited some eye-opening stats on the PicklePod as evidence of the sport's continued international growth.

A new study conducted by UPA Asia and YouGov Singapore surveyed more than 14,000 respondents across 12 territories: China; Chinese Taipei; India; Indonesia; Japan; Malaysia; the Philippines; Singapore; South Korea; Hong Kong, China; Thailand and Vietnam.

"The sampling was done based on a territorially representative sample of each territory, with at least 1,000 respondents per market. The responses were then extrapolated based on population size," according to UPA Asia.

Some key findings from the 12 representative territories:

• About 1.9 billion people have heard about pickleball
• Cose to 812 million people have played the sport at least once
• 282 million playing at least once a month

In terms of frequent players – defined as those who play at least once per month – India tops the list (178 million), followed by China (over 60 million) and Vietnam (over 16 million).

Where Does USA Pickleball Fit In?

Despite the momentum established by the WPF-IPF merger, pickleball's Olympic bid isn't quite so cut and dry.

Since 2023, a third organization has been championing the sport's growth on the international level: the Global Pickleball Federation.

And just a few days ago, it posted this to Instagram, from a location you may recognize – Lausanne, Switzerland:

The GPF, which is supported by USA Pickleball, says the plans are in motion "to accelerate pickleball’s future at the highest level of competition on a global scale."

Rifkind doesn't share their enthusiasm, calling this "a lot of smoke and mirrors."

"The Global Pickleball Federation, for all of their talk, their bylaws are not IOC compliant," he said.

Is 2028 Actually Feasible?

Not surprisingly, the biggest hurdle standing in the way of pickleball's adoption as an Olympic sport, says Rifkind, is pickleball itself.

Until now, there were three fragmented governing bodies on the global level (the Global Pickleball Federation is the third), and nobody at the helm.

This merger, he contends, changes that.

"The International Olympic Committee, I can tell you, loves pickleball," says Rifkind. "It checks all the boxes of what they're looking for for any new sport to be accepted. Our biggest problem has been us."

A new board is now working on updated bylines, adhering to the IOC's mantra of every country getting one vote.

As for when pickleball could feasibly be in the Olympics?

"There is still a possibility that we could get in 2028," Rifkind contends, though he puts the likelihood below 25 percent. "People say it's impossible. I've heard this directly from the IOC: 'If we want you in, you're in. Period.'"