Pickleball in Australia explained

Pickleball in Australia
Union:Pickleball Australia Association
Sport:Pickleball
Nickname:PAA
First:2020
Registered:15,139 [1]
Clubs:255

Pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis,[2] was invented in the United States in 1965, on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Labeled the fastest growing sport in the United States since 2021, the sport is rapidly gaining popularity in Australia.[3] In September 2024 Trilogy Funds, the title sponsor for the 2024 Australian pickleball championships, declared pickleball is also "Australia's fastest growing sport" with over 25,000 players nationwide.[4]

History

The first time pickleball is known to have been played in Australia was in 2010 in the Sunshine Coast Region of Queensland, but it wasn't until 2015 that the sport started to be taken more seriously. The first purpose-built Australian pickleball courts were installed in 2016, in Caboolture, Queensland, with the first pickleball association, the Pickleball Association of Australia (PAA), formed in 2017. The Pickleball Association of Australia was renamed the Pickleball Association of Queensland (PAQ) in 2020.[5]

Governing body

The Pickleball Australia Association (PAA) was formed in 2020 to act as a nationwide governing body for pickleball.

The PAA has associations with the following sub-national organizations:[6]

Professional pickleball

National Pickleball League

The National Pickleball League Australia (NPL) was established in January 2023, with its inaugural tournament held in July 2023 on the Gold Coast.[7] The NPL's first full season started in March 2024 with 18 teams across 3 states, each team having 6 players (3 men and 3 women). The competitions consisted of a specialized team format called NPLeague with a total prize of $100,000.[8] The finals for season 1 were held in June 2023 with the Jalapenos of Victoria winning the $50,000 top prize.[9] The Season 2 NPL finals was won by the Queensland Caterpillars in November 2024.

On October 23, 2024, it was announced that the NPL would be the exclusive Oceania league and tournament provider for Pickleball World Rankings (PWR). NPL tournaments will be incorporated into the PWR World Tour where participants can earn points to qualify for the PWR World Series.[10]

Major League Pickleball Australia

The Pacific Pickleball League was founded by Adam Thompson and Anthony Liveris. In September 2023 the organization was rebranded as Major League Pickleball Australia (MLPA), after the organization worked out a cooperative agreement with Major League Pickleball in the United States. All games are played following the MLP team format established by the MLP in the United States.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Who Are Pickleball Australia . PickleballAus.org . Pickleball Australia Association . 21 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241121002419/https://www.pickleballaus.org/ . November 21, 2024.
  2. Web site: The Essential Rules of Pickleball: A Quick Overview . 2024-09-10 . Team Pickleball . en.
  3. Web site: McMahon . Neil . ‘It’s a bit addictive’: why the sport of pickleball is surging in Australia . theage.com.au . The Age . 22 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240716030537/https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/it-s-a-bit-addictive-why-the-sport-of-pickleball-is-surging-in-australia-20230113-p5cccw.html . July 16, 2024 . January 14, 2023.
  4. Web site: Larkin . Mitch . Australia’s fastest growing sport – Pickleball . trilogyfunds.com.au . Trilogy Funds . 22 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241031044725/https://trilogyfunds.com.au/blog/news-media/australias-fastest-growing-sport-pickleball/ . October 31, 2024 . September 3, 2024.
  5. Web site: About . pickleballquensland.org . Pickleball Association of Queensland, Inc. . 21 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240317035903/https://pickleballqueensland.org/about . March 17, 2024.
  6. Web site: Our State Members . pickleballaus.org . Pickleball Australia Association . 21 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241113210114/https://www.pickleballaus.org/m/19731/p/1297323 . November 13, 2024.
  7. Web site: NPL CEO Ron Shell Chats State of Pickleball in Australia Ahead of 2024 Season 1 Launch . Haus Pickleball . Haus Pickleball Media . 23 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231005015042/https://hauspickleball.com/npl-ceo-ron-shell-chats-state-of-pickleball-in-australia-ahead-of-2024-season-1-launch/ . October 5, 2023 . October 1, 2023.
  8. Web site: Wiggins . Holly . National Pickleball League bringing the world’s buzziest sport to Australia in $100,000 competition . The West Australian . West Australian Newspapers Limited . 23 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240419194627/https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/streamer/national-pickleball-league-bringing-the-worlds-buzziest-sport-to-australia-in-100000-competition-c-13491610 . April 19, 2024 . February 6, 2024.
  9. Web site: PRESS RELEASE: National Pickleball League Season 1 Champions – The Jalapenos, Win $50,000 As Australia’s Inaugural Professional Pickleball League Winners . Get The Word Out . Get The Word Out . https://web.archive.org/web/20241123234749/https://getthewordout.com.au/press-release/press-release-national-pickleball-league-season-1-champions-the-jalapenos-win-50000-as-australias-inaugural-professional-pickleball-league-winners/ . November 23, 2024 . June 5, 2024.
  10. Web site: PWR (Pickleball World Rankings) Announces NPL Australia as their Exclusive & Official Oceania Tournament & League Provider for 2025 . nplpickleball.com.au . National Pickleball League . 28 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241029152850/https://www.nplpickleball.com.au/news-1/pwr-(pickleball-world-rankings)-announces-npl-australia-(national-pickleball-league%2C-australia)-as-their-exclusive-%26-official-oceania-tournament-%26-league-provider-for-2025 . October 29, 2024 . October 23, 2024.
  11. Web site: Samios . Zoe . Pickleball is about to go major league in Australia . Financial Review . The Australian Financial Review, Nine Entertainment Co. Pty Ltd . 26 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715203625/https://www.afr.com/companies/sport/pickleball-is-about-to-go-major-league-in-australia-20230907-p5e2s7 . July 15, 2024 . September 8, 2023.

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