New Delhi

The Delhi High Court has upheld the Centre’s decision to recognise the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) as the national federation for the sport, dismissing a petition filed by the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) challenging the move.

Rejecting the plea, Justice Sachin Datta said the court was not inclined to interfere with a decision taken by a domain expert and that it was not within the court’s jurisdiction to sit in appeal over such matters.

In its judgment dated February 2, the court held that the recognition granted to IPA could not be termed ex facie arbitrary or manifestly unreasonable.

“In the circumstances, this court finds no merit in the present petition; the same is, accordingly, dismissed,” the judge said.

The Sports Ministry had granted recognition to the Indian Pickleball Association on April 25, 2025, making it eligible for financial assistance and conferring autonomy to regulate, promote and develop the sport at the national level.

AIPA, which claimed it has been promoting pickleball in India since 2008, alleged that the ministry violated the National Sports Development Code by recognising an organisation that was only 138 days old at the time of recognition.

The ministry had exempted IPA from certain requirements under the Sports Code, including the condition of having a minimum prior existence of three years at the time of applying for recognition and the requirement of having 50 per cent district units affiliated with state or Union Territory associations.

Rejecting AIPA’s arguments, the court observed that the Sports Code itself provided for relaxation of conditions in appropriate cases and that there was nothing improper in the ministry invoking such provisions.

The high court noted that the Sports Code was non-statutory in nature and could not be treated as rigid or incapable of accommodating exemptions, particularly for emerging sports.

“Nascent or emerging sports such as pickleball cannot be treated on par with legacy or established sports,” the court said, adding that it would be incongruous to insist on strict application of all provisions of the Sports Code to such disciplines.

While emphasising that core governance-related provisions—such as those concerning elections, financial transparency, and age or tenure restrictions—are mandatory and uniformly applicable, the court held that several other provisions must be applied contextually.

“It cannot be lost sight of the fact that there are many provisions of the Sports Code which are required to be applied in the context of a particular sport and with due sensitivity to the developmental stage of the sport concerned,” the judgment said.

The court further noted that exemptions granted to IPA were based on a considered assessment of the emerging nature of pickleball and the objective of promoting and developing the sport in the country.

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It also observed that the Sports Code provides for periodic review of recognition granted to national sports federations, ensuring continued oversight.