I found this article which announced that Pickleball has met all International Olympic Committee (IOC) requirements and criteria For Olympics participation. The International Federation of Pickleball is the leading the charge to participation in the Olympics.
In reality, Pickleball is not yet ready for the Olympics. Even though there is still a lot of work to be done, this is exciting news. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the USA. I think that they need to do the following things at a minimum to gain Olympic status:
- Greater International Participation. Being a huge dynamic sport in the USA is not enough. You need Europe, Africa and Latin America to embrace pickleball.
- Well-Structured Set of Rules. We are on our way but some rules need to be ironed out like the let rule on serves.
- Commitment to Anti-Doping Regulations. I have never heard that this is an issue like other sports. This should be a simple matter to institute.
None of the steps are insurmountable and will be a matter of time and investment. I would assume that Pickleball would be ready in the next 5 to 10 years for the Olympics.
How exciting is this?