Pickleball is a sport that’s been around since the mid-1960s and has been growing in popularity ever since.
It’s a combination of elements from tennis, badminton, and ping pong, making it an exciting new racquet sport. But will pickleball make its way to the Olympics any time soon?
The short answer is “it’s complicated.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has several criteria that need to be met before a sport can be added to the official list of Olympic events.
For starters, the sport must have an international governing body recognized by the IOC.
There are currently four organizations that govern pickleball worldwide, but only one—the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP)—has been granted provisional recognition by the IOC.
Another requirement for Olympic status is that a sport must have at least 70 national federations in 30 nations across five continents participating in world-level competitions.
While there are over 50 countries with pickleball federations or associations, only 18 countries have participated in world-level competitions including Canada, India, Mexico, Australia, United States and Sweden.
This means that before pickleball can even become an official Olympic event it needs more international participation.
Finally,
There’s always the issue of politics when discussing potential additions to the Olympics lineup.
Currently there are 28 sports on the Olympic program; some argue that this number should remain consistent while others believe it should increase or decrease depending on current trends and popular demand.
And while many people support adding pickleball as an official Olympic event there will likely be much debate over how best to accommodate it within existing regulations and guidelines.
Conclusion:
Only time will tell if pickleball will eventually become an official event at the Summer Olympics.
In order for this dream to become a reality more countries will need to form pickleball federations and participate in world-level competitions—and most importantly society as a whole will need to accept it as a legitimate competitive sport worthy of inclusion in the world’s most prestigious sporting event!
Until then all we can do is wait and see what happens next!
One More Thing:
So, you've finally won a game and you want everyone to know it. Well, it has been a few years since you one a game, but I don't think your ready for the Olympics. But, still I guess it's time.
But you don't know what to do next? Where do you go to find out where to find this perfect trophy?
Well, don't worry, we've got you covered.
We've done the research by reading numerous articles, blogs and the reviews of numerous reviewers on Amazon and we feel we have a good handle on various awards, plaques, and medals you will need so you can let everyone know what a pickleball expert you are.
And, yes pickleballers play in the cold months too, but I wouldn't recommend you taking your award to the court then. That's a little too much!
So, a good place to find items is the article we've written on the 11 Pickleball Trophies To Prove You Won...Or Lost!
So tap the button below and read what we've found for you. Then start practicing. Then maybe it won't be two years before you get another trophy. Instead, just go out, have fun, and perhaps develop that ability to actually earn that trophy you now hold!
