Pickleball in Australia
| Pickleball in Australia | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Pickleball Australia Association |
| Nickname(s) | PAA |
| First played | 2020 |
| Registered players | 15,139 As of 20 November 2024[update][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
[edit]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
[edit]The Pickleball Australia Association (PAA) was formed in 2020 to act as a nationwide governing body for pickleball.[1]
The PAA has associations with the following sub-national organizations:[6]
- Australia Capital Territory - Pickleball Association of the Australian Capital Territory (PACT)
- New South Wales - Pickleball Assocation 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)
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Who Are Pickleball Australia". PickleballAus.org. Pickleball Australia Association. Archived from the original on November 21, 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "The Essential Rules of Pickleball: A Quick Overview". Team Pickleball. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "About". pickleballquensland.org. Pickleball Association of Queensland, Inc. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "Our State Members". pickleballaus.org. Pickleball Australia Association. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
| Pickleball by county | |
|---|---|
| Governing bodies | |
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