Unified World Pickleball Federation Welcomes Dialogue on Pickleball’s Olympic Inclusion
The Unified World Pickleball Federation has announced that it welcomes the ongoing dialogue on the potential inclusion of pickleball in the Olympics.
In a press release, the Unified World Pickleball Federation emphasised that its Board remains fully committed to pursuing Olympic recognition and stands ready to engage in constructive discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and future host nations, to further this shared objective.
Aware that Olympic recognition requires a single, internationally representative governing body, the Unified World Pickleball Federation has been engaging in discussions with the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF) about a potential unification process and is now awaiting the latter’s formal response.
The Unified World Pickleball Federation, in the same press release, revealed that both organisations share the common goal of elevating pickleball to the world’s highest sporting stage, which is the Olympic Games.
The Unified World Pickleball Federation has also acknowledged that the upcoming GPF Congress and Annual General Meeting is a positive step toward strengthening democratic governance.
Moreover, the Unified World Pickleball Federation believes that inclusive and transparent leadership will lay the foundation for meaningful unification and remains dedicated to ongoing dialogue with GPF, and all stakeholders, who share the goal of a unified and globally representative federation—the pathway to Olympic recognition.
The group, which unified only this year, has also emphasised that true unification must be built upon IOC-compliant governance that includes:
- Democratically elected leadership,
- Transparency and accountability in decision-making,
- Balanced continental representation that prevents dominance by any single country.
“The Olympic pathway requires more than passion—it demands unity, credibility, and good governance,” said Miguel Montaño Freire, Secretary of the Unified World Pickleball Federation. “We look forward to working hand-in-hand with all partners, including GPF, to establish a unified and representative international federation that can carry pickleball to the Olympic Games.”
