Pickleball has always been a great, creative sport of its time. Since the day it was discovered, it has risen in popularity over the decades. Moreover, it is age-appropriate. Therefore, any age 6 and beyond will enjoy playing pickleball.
Further, the real question that arises is, “Is pickleball in the Olympics?”. To answer that, unfortunately, it has not yet made its Olympic debut. Despite the 8500 locations for pickleball and millions of players, it is taking its fair share of time to make it to the Olympics. But we are hoping it is sooner than ever! The date? Read further to find out!
This post includes the following
- Reasons why Pickleball is not in the Olympics
- About Pickleball
- Olympics Sports and when are they added
- When is pickleball likely to make its Olympic Debut
| Fun Fact: From 2014- 2021 almost 4.82 million people played pickleball. That includes players from age 6 and beyond. Hence, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport. |
Why Isn’t Pickleball in the Olympics?
One of the most asked questions is “Is pickleball an Olympic sport?” It is true that despite the millions of people playing pickleball and its ever-growing popularity, pickleball still has not made it to the Olympics. Although there is no specific reason, we believe the following to be the major reason why pickleball is not in the Olympics:
Not enough countries play pickleball for it to be an Olympic sport.
To elaborate further, according to the Olympics, men from 75+ countries and four continents have to play. Moreover, for women, at least three continents and 40 countries have to play. Although millions of people play this international game, it is still not enough. Further, even though it is spread among 50+ countries, not a lot of them practice pickleball. Although the people of North America play pickleball the most.
To summarize, with the rapid speed of growth, there likely will be an Olympic pickleball event soon.
What Kind of Sport is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a hybrid of tennis and table tennis that is not only fun and competitive but also low-intensity. In addition to that, it is a paddle-based sport with a lot of similarities to tennis. Some of the unique features of this sport are its type of ball and racquet, the size of the court, and its rules. What’s more, you can play pickleball indoors and outdoors.
The double bounce rule of pickleball makes it dynamic. To elaborate, the ball has to bounce on each side of the net after the serve. Furthermore, on double-bouncing the ball on your side of the court, you lose a point. Last, the pickleball is made of plastic with perforations, and the paddles are half the size of tennis racquets. On the court, you can play pickleball on the tennis court with slight additions to the markings. In fact, it is smaller than the tennis court.
Which Sports are Included in the Olympics and When Are They Added?
There are a total of 40 sports that are featured in the Olympics. They all have a procedure that authorities follow to include that sport in the Olympics. The newer sports have a hard time making it to the Olympics. They have to be practicing and prominent in 75+ countries. Even then, there are a lot of standard procedures to go through. In conclusion, there is an international popularity threshold that is to exceed for the likelihood of sport being in the Olympics.
The following are the guidelines for the addition of any sport to the Olympics:
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the organization that acknowledges any game to be a sport in the Olympics.
- The International Olympic Committee requires any NGO to take responsibility for certain sports.
- Furthermore, by having an International Sports Federation, the sport gets international recognition.
- What’s more, the anti-doping code and Olympic charter are necessary for any sport.
- Athletes are to obey the Olympic charter and anti-doping codes. Therefore, athletes are to stay clear of any performance-enhancing drugs and steroids. It is the standard practice of the IOC.
- The International Sports Federation will submit a petition explaining the requirements for eligibility to the International Olympic Committee.
- The activity for a certain sport is sent to the Olympics program for one of the following: sport, discipline, or event.
There are 40 sports in the Olympics, but the following are the top 12 sports of the event:
- Swimming
- Gymnastics
- Water Sports
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Weightlifting
- Rugby
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Handball
- Table Tennis
When is the pickleball Olympic debut likely to happen?
We are sure you are wondering if there will be pickleball in the Olympic sports event any time soon. Even though a game like a pickleball would be a hit in any country, it is sad that it has not made it to the Olympics. To be fair, it is tough to get any specific sport into the Olympics. But here is what you need to know about pickleball Olympic sport. With the rapid increase in pickleball’s popularity, it might be closer than you think it is!
We are about to answer the question, “Is pickleball an Olympic sport?”
Pickleball is widely played in the United States but not overseas. Before it makes it to the Olympics, it has to fulfill the requirements of the IOC.
With the current rate of growth in popularity, you might be seeing pickleball in the Olympics in 2028.
In conclusion, even though it might take five years or more, the sport itself makes it worth it. Sadly, we will not be seeing it in the Olympics in 2024, but there are authorities who can work for it. For example, they can organize pickleball game events and broadcast them so that they reach aspiring athletes or pickleball players. As deserving as pickleball is of its Olympic debut, it is going to take some time.
As for you, keep practicing; you might be the next champion at the pickleball Olympics.
FAQs
With 4.82 million pickleball players and 38,000 pickleball courts, America has proven to be the country where pickleball is the fast-growing sport. This was mentioned in the report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
To our surprise, according to Google’s search traffic trend, the state in which pickleball is most famous is Utah.
For now, pickleball has not made it to the Olympics. Since the chances of the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 are low, it is more likely to happen at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.
Bibliography
https://www.statista.com/statistics/763659/pickleball-participants-us/
https://elements.envato.com/drone-shot-directly-above-people-playing-on-four-p-2ZB735N
Hey, fellow pickleball player!
My name is Ethan Josephson. I am a pickleball enthusiast who has been playing this fantastic game for more than 5 years. Before that I had almost 20-years-experience with tennis and table tennis, but pickleball fascinated me completely.
