Pickleball shows many similarities to table tennis (Ping-Pong), badminton, and tennis. It is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It is played on a level court with a plastic ball that has been perforated and is volleyed over a low net with paddles with short handles.
The sport can be played inside or outdoors, with matches consisting of two pairs of players (doubles) or two opposing players (singles).
In the early years of the twenty-first century, pickleball saw immense development after being established in the United States in 1965. People of different ages and ability levels play it nowadays all around the world.
The dimensions of an official Pickleball court, which are identical to a badminton doubles court, are 20 by 44 feet (6.1 by 13.4 meters) for both singles and doubles play. The pickleball net measures 36 inches (91 cm) high at the court’s edges and 34 inches (86 cm) high in the middle. Paddles used by players are usually composed of wood or composite materials, with a solid, flat surface. The maximum length for paddles is 17 inches (43 cm). A paddle’s total length and width cannot be more than 24 inches (61 cm). Nonetheless, a paddle’s weight or thickness are unrestricted. The diameter of the lightweight balls ranges from 2.87 to 2.97 inches (7.3 to 7.5 cm).
Starting from behind the baseline, which is the line dividing each end of the court, a cross-court serve initiates play. The serving stroke must be underhanded for players. The goal is to get the ball over the net and into the service area diagonally across from the server, staying out of “the kitchen,” which is a designated non-volley zone that stretches seven feet (2.1 meters) on either side of the net. Before returning the serve, the receiving player must allow the ball to bounce once. Players can decide whether to volley the ball straight up into the air or to let it bounce before striking it after it has made one initial bounce on each side of the court. *Uttar Pradesh PickleBall Association (UPA)* was formed in 2022 with an objective of promoting and spreading this game to every corner of the State.
UPA Secretary Mr. Prabhat Mani Vats claims that the organization has a capable staff with over forty years of combined expertise. The core crew, consisting of national medalists, is assisting this game in reaching out to universities and institutions, high-rise communities in Noida, and other areas of the State. UPA and NOFAA have an MOU to expand this sport in NOFAA Member Societies in order to obtain more exposure.
Shri Rajiva Singh, the President of NOFAA, serves as a board director on the UPA Executive Body.
To raise awareness of this game, members of UPA’s Bootcamp/Expansion Committee frequently host Bootcamps and Trainings in all high-rise communities.
We have almost 400 registered players under UPA in just 12–18 months.
The goal of UPA is to hit 1000 by the end of this year. Additionally, it is in talks to work with some of the world’s top players to establish its own academy and Pickleball courts in Noida.
To bring PickleBall to the state, UPA recently held the largest bootcamp in Haldwani, Uttrakhand.
Additionally, the largest pickleball tournament in India is scheduled to take place in June at Noida Stadium, with over twelve East and Central Zonal States anticipated to compete. Anticipated is also a massive event with over a thousand attendees, including some of the greatest Pickleball matchups in noida.
In order to function, the recently established Uttar Pradesh Pickleball Association (UPA) requires funding. In order to construct pickleball courts in Noida Stadium and public parks around the state, they are requesting financial assistance from the government.