Pickleball is this close to becoming an Olympic sport, but a lot of work is still ahead. The Global Pickleball Federation (GPF) and the Unified World Pickleball Federation (UWPF) have created a Task Force to establish a single
governing entity dedicated to the governance and global expansion of pickleball.
For an in-depth look at how we got here, please read my article from five months ago, outlining a merger between the WPF and the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP):
Inside the IPF‑WPF Merger and Pickleball’s ‘Olympic Aspirations’ Ahead
On Saturday, June 14, 2025 the International Pickleball Federation (IPF) and World Pickleball Federation (WPF) have officially merged. Read about how this affects the international pickleball scene and what steps are next.
The Dink Pickleball Erik Tice
For a CliffsNotes version, here you go:
2010 - The International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) was founded as the first governing body in pickleball. The IFP later became defunct due to financial concerns. 2018 - Seymour Rifkind starts the WPF, following his earlier creation of the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA) April 2023 - The IFP is brought back to life as the IPF November 2023 - The GPF was founded when the United States and other countries withdrew from the IPF June 2025 - The IPF/WPF agreed to a merger and to vote on a new Board of Directors (article mentioned above) August 30, 2025 - The newly elected UWPF Board of Directors were a... FULL ARTICLE FOUND ON: https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/one-step-closer-to-pickleball-in-the-olympics-the-gpf-and-uwpf-move-to-establish-a-single-global-governing-body/
