NO, Pickleball is currently not an Olympic Sport till 2024. It might be added in Olympics Sports in 2024 Paris Olympics or in 2028 LOS Angles Olympics Games.
Many people want to play pickleball professionally and the first question they come across is whether pickleball is an Olympic game or not?
Pickleball is a famous game played mostly in the USA, and Canada by single or double players. You Need Pickleball accessories to start the game such as a Pickleball paddle, Balls, Machine, Net, Shoes, Shirts, Gloves, and Backpacks.
It is a fact that Pickleball has been played for over 57 years in North and South America but it has not become a part of the Olympics. Why is it so?
Let’s have a look at Olympics:
Olympics:
When we talk about the Olympics we simply get the idea in our mind that it is a sporting event that holds different games at the International level in which all over the world athletes can participate in different games.
There are a few sports that generally come into your mind when you think about the Olympics games like diving, swimming, gymnastics, bobsledding, tennis etc. As we know that pickleball is an emerging game and also getting popular all over the world. For the selection of pickleball in the Olympics, it must be noticed by OIC.
What is Pickleball and when it was Invented?
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the USA, Canada, and Europe. The game is quite fun and it is being played by all ages. The game is a combination of Tennis, Table tennis, and Badminton. Pickleball can be played in doubles or by singles depending upon your choice so you can play in pairs or single as well.
Each Player has Pickleball Paddle almost 3 times greater than a Ping pong paddle and the paddle is used to hit the ball to the opponent. To win the game, you have to make 11 points and must win by a margin of at least 2 points.
The game is currently being played in almost every state of the USA, However, it is the fastest-growing sport in Canada and other countries as well, so in the future, it has the brightest chance to be added to Olympics.
Pickleball was invented by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum in 1965 as a simple family enjoyment because they were getting bored on the weekend. This game is actually a mixture of different games like tennis, badminton, and table tennis. As time passed pickleball became popular and played by many people. This popularity of the game is due to its easy rules and also it only requires simple equipment like a paddle and ball.
Pickleball is simply played on a court just like badminton. In recent days, we know that pickleball is quite popular, but is pickleball an Olympic game or not? You Can also check the Best Pickleball Sets.
Is pickleball an Olympic game?
No! Pickleball is not currently an Olympics game. As we know, the Olympics is the most primetime sports competition on Television. So the new sport did not get attention initially. The true signs that a specific sport gained is the global stage and its inclusion in the Olympics. As you can see that pickleball is a growing sport of undeniable popularity and also has an ever-increasing global profile but the Olympics is not an easy path to cross. You can also check Onix Graphite Z5.
New Olympic Sports
Those games which are not on air on television don’t get the attention of the world. so, these games are not able to be added to Olympics. However, in 2016, many games like golf are also not included in Olympics. You Can Also Check the Best Pickleball Machine.
In the recent Olympics tournament, the authority added new sports that fulfill the standards of the Olympics.
- Karate
- Skateboarding
- Sport climbing
- Baseball/softball
Criteria of OIC for addition
In order to include a game in Olympics, we must know about the rules according to which a game can be added to Olympics. If a game fulfills the criteria of the Olympics it can be added. Otherwise, no game can be added to the Olympics. No matter how popular the game is. Following are the rules for the selection of a game in the Olympics:
- First of all, the game must be under the control of a non-governmental international organization. The reason for this rule is that no one adds their own rules in games. Every game must have permanent rules which are common all the world.
- If the game fulfills the first criteria of the OIC then we move forward with further rules. Secondly, the game must follow the Anti-Doping Code of the Olympics movement. According to this code, all the players of the game should not use drugs in order to play a better game. It is a major rule and is of great importance.
- Moreover, a game must be popular in the three continents of the world. And must be played there. However, if the game is played by male players then the game should be played in 75 countries on the three continents. And if the game is played by female players, then the game must be played in 40 countries on the three continents.
- Luckily, if the game meets all the above criteria of the OIC, it’s still not confirmed whether the game is included in the Olympics or not! There are many games that are non-doped, popular, and under the control of non-governmental agencies that are not included in the Olympics.
- There are some more rules which must be followed by OIC during selection. Like if the country of the particular game is not able to provide all the facilities to players. It is not included in Olympics. As we all know that the Olympics is more a business than any other thing, so the particular game must be interesting and must be able to capture the interest of people.
- Finally, if your game fulfills all the rules and also becomes very much popular it can be added to Olympics. OIC just has to decide to exclude a previous game, which is not so beneficial now, to add to your game. You Can Also Check the Best Elongated Paddles.
Non-Olympic sports
In the Olympics, world fitness athletes compete against each other in various sports. Here are some of the sport that is not included in the Olympics here are the list below
- American Football
- Paintball
- Mixed material art
- Cricket
- Polo
- Chess
- Squash
- Bowling
- Darts
Does pickleball fulfill OIC criteria?
Pickleball fulfills the criteria of OIC to some extent. If we talk about the first condition that the game must be under the control of an international organization. Pickleball fulfills this condition. Because it is played at an international level in the USA and many other countries. The rules of pickleball are also defined and remain constant in all the countries. This game also follows the Anti-Doping code.
But according to the second rule, the game must be played in 40 or 75 countries of the three continents. Pickleball doesn’t fulfill this rule because it is an emerging game and not so popular according to requirements. So, pickleball is not an Olympic game at this time. You Can also check the Best Gamma Pickleball Paddle.
Will pickleball be added to the Olympics in the future?
It is clear from the above information that pickleball is not an Olympic game. Because the OIC has many rules for the selection of a game in the Olympics. Only the games which fulfill the criteria are able to be added to Olympics.
For the selection of pickleball in the Olympics, it must be professional or under the control of an international level. Further pickleball should be popular all over the world. In recent times pickleball is getting more popular day by day. It is also played at the international level. OIC also noticed the popularity of pickleball. Also, check the Best Selkirk Pickleball Paddle.
But according to one rule of OIC, a game must be played in 40 or 75 countries of the three continents in case of female and male players respectively. So if the pickleball continues to grow at its recent growth rate, it will soon be able to fulfill this condition. And maybe in the future pickleball will be added to Olympics.
FAQs – Is Pickleball An Olympic Sport:
Why is Pickleball not in the Olympics?
Pickleball is not a popular game all around the world and it is mostly played in America. Further, a small population plays it which does not fulfill the criteria of a game to be added to the Olympics.
What type of Sport is Pickleball?
You can simply understand a pickleball game as a cross between tennis and table tennis.
When will Pickleball be Added to the Olympics?
It depends on the growth and popularity of the pickleball games gain in the future.
