Pickleball is a sport where players use paddles to hit a ball, and it originated from Bainbridge Island in Seattle, USA.

Describing it as a mix of tennis, badminton, and table tennis is quite fitting. Two individuals invented it; its name comes from one of the inventors' dogs. During the invention and early playtesting, a dog named Pickle often ran with the ball in its mouth.

The pickleball court is similar in size to a badminton court, with a net height comparable to a tennis net. It uses enlarged table tennis paddles and a hollow plastic ball with multiple holes, slightly larger than a tennis ball. The gameplay is similar to tennis, allowing groundstrokes or direct volleys in the air.

According to data from the American Sports and Fitness Industry Association, pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the United States for three consecutive years, experiencing a remarkable growth of 158.6%.

As reported by CNBC, the number of pickleball players in the United States exceeded 36 million in 2022, equivalent to more than one person playing pickleball for every ten Americans. Over the years, with millions worldwide experiencing and enjoying it, pickleball has gained a positive reputation as a fun, easy-to-learn, and inclusive sport.

In 1965, on a rainy day in Bainbridge Island, three neighbours were having a gathering. One of them, Joel Pritchard, entertained the bored children by using two paddles and a plastic ball after the rain stopped. They played on the backyard badminton court with a lowered net and had a great time. Joel and another neighbor, Bill, invited Barney Mccallum, the gathering host, to collaborate on defining the rules and scoring system for this new game.

Initially using table tennis paddles, they quickly switched to a more durable design crafted by Barney in his basement using wooden boards. Drawing inspiration from tennis, badminton, and table tennis, they formulated the initial rules for pickleball. The game gained popularity as they invited relatives, friends, and neighbours to join.

Barney Mccallum and his neighbour Dick Brown each had twin puppies, LuLu and Pickle. The sport didn't have a name as the dogs chased and bit the rolling ball during the backyard games. One day, while the adults were brainstorming for a name, Joel suggested naming it after McCallum's dog Pickle, and everyone agreed. From that day on, this novel racquet sport had a fun, catchy, and memorable name – pickleball.

Interestingly, some pickleball competitions in the United States award winners with a jar of pickles, adding a humorous touch to the prize ceremony.