Pickleball has solidified its position as the fastest-growing sport in the United States in recent years, and from February 8 to 11, Justin Maloof, the Chief Operating Officer of USA Pickleball, attended the 2024 Indian Open held at the National Sports Club of India in Mumbai, a tournament with a prize pool of $100,000.
“It’s Just Exciting To See”
Maloof remarked, “It certainly demonstrates just the growth of the sport, the fact it’s being played now internationally.
“(Pickleball) has got a ways to go to catch up to where we are here in the U.S., but this is the first major tournament (in India), certainly the largest cash prize, $100,000, and they’ve got some pretty big sponsors. It’s just exciting to see, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it firsthand.”
Introduced in India in the late 2000s, pickleball’s popularity soared there, just as it did in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided a safe and socially distanced way for people to stay active. While the exact number of players in India remains uncertain, Maloof highlighted the country’s participation in the Asian Pickleball Federation and the increasing support from sponsors.
“That will certainly help foster additional growth,” he said.
A Seasoned Professional
Maloof is a seasoned professional in the sports industry and has been instrumental in driving USA Pickleball since 2013. His international endeavors include being part of a goodwill visit to China in 2018, where he attended a sports expo at a university in Shenzhen and presented about pickleball.
“We did demos and a nationwide podcast talking about the sport,” he said. “We went to various venues, which at the time were badminton venues, but they were just introducing pickleball at these venues. So, we were able to go in and do some demos and youth clinics. That was pretty exciting.”
Looking ahead, Maloof sees immense potential for pickleball’s growth globally, particularly in countries like China and India. He emphasized the importance of sharing resources and expertise internationally to accelerate the sport’s development outside the U.S.
“I anticipate that in terms of participation and talent, they are going to probably get to where we are (in the U.S.) real quick,” he said.
“I think the sport there is several years behind where the U.S. is right now, but I think with our efforts to help foster growth internationally, I don’t think it’s going to take 10, 15 years for these countries to catch up,” Maloof said.
“We’ve got not only the rules, but we’ve got the officiating programs, the ambassador programs, we’ve got the tournament resources, we have the roadmap, if you will, based on the efforts that we’ve undertaken and have kind of experimented with, have an idea of what works and what doesn’t.
“The opportunity to share those resources and those how-to’s on an international level; that’s certainly going to help these countries get to where the U.S. is today much quicker.”
Pickleball At The Olympics
While Maloof envisions pickleball becoming an Olympic sport and gaining prominence worldwide, he acknowledges that significant progress is needed in terms of international participation and infrastructure:
“Right now, most of those are just (in the phase with) the initial clubs within those countries.
“Our immediate goals are grassroots initiatives. It’s about building the base. We’ve got to get more people playing the sport. We’ve got a ways to go. It is a matter of fostering more growth internationally, getting more people playing, and strengthening those national federations.”
Read our take on pickleball at the Olympics here.
