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Pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, 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. 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.

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.

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:

• Australia Capital Territory - Pickleball Association of the Australian Capital Territory (PACT)
• New South Wales - Pickleball Association New South Wales (PANSW)
• Queensland - Pickleball Association of Queensland (PAQ)
• South Australia - Pickleball South Australia Association (PSAA)
• Tasmania - Pickleball Association Tasmania (PAT)
• Victoria - Pickleball Victoria (PV)
• Western Australia - Pickleball Association of Western Australia (PAWA)

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. 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.The finals for season 1 were held in June 2023 with the Jalapenos of Victoria winning the $50,000 top prize. 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.

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.

References

1. ^ "Who Are Pickleball Australia". PickleballAus.org. Pickleball Australia Association. Archived from the original on November 21, 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
2. "The Essential Rules of Pickleball: A Quick Overview". Team Pickleball. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
3. McMahon, Neil (January 14, 2023). "'It's a bit addictive': why the sport of pickleball is surging in Australia". theage.com.au. The Age. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
4. Larkin, Mitch (September 3, 2024). "Australia's fastest growing sport – Pickleball". trilogyfunds.com.au. Trilogy Funds. Archived from the original on October 31, 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
5. "About". pickleballquensland.org. Pickleball Association of Queensland, Inc. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
6. "Our State Members". pickleballaus.org. Pickleball Australia Association. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
7. "NPL CEO Ron Shell Chats State of Pickleball in Australia Ahead of 2024 Season 1 Launch". Haus Pickleball. Haus Pickleball Media. October 1, 2023. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
8. Wiggins, Holly (February 6, 2024). "National Pickleball League bringing the world's buzziest sport to Australia in $100,000 competition". The West Australian. West Australian Newspapers Limited. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
9. "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. June 5, 2024. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024.
10. "PWR (Pickleball World Rankings) Announces NPL Australia as their Exclusive & Official Oceania Tournament & League Provider for 2025". nplpickleball.com.au. National Pickleball League. October 23, 2024. Archived from the original on October 29, 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
11. Samios, Zoe (September 8, 2023). "Pickleball is about to go major league in Australia". Financial Review. The Australian Financial Review, Nine Entertainment Co. Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.

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