When We Unite, Pickleball Wins

The Unified World Pickleball Federation (UWPF) is the result of more than 40 weeks of meetings, dialogue, and collaboration. Together, leaders from both the International Pickleball Federation (IPF) and the World Pickleball Federation (WPF) reached consensus on the most important issues and built a roadmap for a stronger, single global federation.

From Dialogue to Action

• A Special General Meeting (SGM) was held where all member countries voted in favour of unification and agreed to operate under the UWPF bylaws.
• A historic Annual General Meeting (AGM) followed, where Full Member Countries elected seven new Board Directors, marking the beginning of a new chapter in pickleball governance.

The New Board

The newly elected Directors, supported by the two non-voting Past Presidents, Arvind Prabhoo and Seymour Rifkind, have all sworn an oath:

The Board has begun onboarding and decision-making. Their first decisions included:

• Deferring the election of President and Vice President until the Board has had time to work together and build cohesion. They will review the situation in three months, leaning on the experience of Arvind and Seymour in the meantime.
• Appointing Miguel Montaño Freire as Company Secretary and Jimmy Tan as Treasurer.

Looking Ahead

With its first Board in place, UWPF is now focused on building a strong foundation for the sport worldwide. The Board has identified several strategic priorities:

• Finalize bylaws and the unified name of the organisation.
• Prepare and submit the IOC application for recognition.
• Build the infrastructure required for good governance, including systems, processes, and compliance.
• Develop a funding plan to ensure sustainability and global support.
• Launch World Championships to showcase pickleball on the international stage.
• Create a 5-year strategic plan to guide growth and development.
• Establish a comprehensive communications plan to keep members, athletes, and fans connected.

The real work of shaping pickleball’s future has begun — and UWPF will keep members updated every step of the way.

When we unite, pickleball wins.