Now Reading: Indian pickleball runs on private funding before government grants arrive
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Indian pickleball runs on private funding before government grants arrive
Nearly a year after receiving National Sports Federation recognition, the Indian Pickleball Association is still operating without government grants. President Suryaveer Singh Bhullar told Hindustan Times that corporate sponsors, franchise owners and…
The Story in Brief
Nearly a year after receiving National Sports Federation recognition, the Indian Pickleball Association is still operating without government grants. President Suryaveer Singh Bhullar told Hindustan Times that corporate sponsors, franchise owners and private investors are funding its programmes, including support for India’s five teams at the Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam, from August 30 to September 6.
The federation remains in a mandatory two-year observation period before it can receive government financial assistance. Lucknow Leopards will sponsor India’s Open team, while the IPA is asking other franchises to fund player development and grassroots work. It is also seeking private investment for an equipment testing and certification laboratory planned with USA Pickleball, which Bhullar hopes to establish by year-end.
The Indian Opinion
The easy narrative is that private money proves pickleball has already arrived, while the opposing one treats the absence of grants as failure. Neither is fair. Sponsorship can keep teams moving, but it cannot replace transparent selection, coach training or broad access beyond franchises and urban leagues. The real test is whether the IPA can publish funding and selection safeguards, then build programmes that survive after the two-year observation period ends.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
