NPA officials during a meeting held in Dimapur on August 19. (Photo credit: NPA)
Dimapur, August 19 (MExN): The Nagaland Pickleball Association (NPA) convened its Annual General Meeting on August 16 to evaluate past achievements and lay down a comprehensive roadmap for expanding the sport across the state.
The meeting focused on the discipline's growth, evaluating tournaments conducted over the past year while identifying the need for structured competitions, better player tracking, and broader grassroots participation.
Digital Integration & Infrastructure Standards
In a major institutional step, the NPA established a formal state-level ranking and digital tournament system, onboarding sports-tech platform FLEG as its official digital partner. FLEG—which links players, venues, coaches, and tournaments across Nagaland and Northeast India—will oversee official state rankings, digital tournament registrations, live scoring, and event management to ensure operational transparency.
The association also discussed formulating strict infrastructure standards for affiliated courts, upgrading referee standards through structured certification programmes and convening dedicated consultations with local court owners.
State Tournaments & National Selections
For the upcoming season, the NPA proposed two official state tournaments in Kohima and Dimapur, tentatively slated for late September and October. Selected players will represent the state at the upcoming Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) Nationals, backed by enhanced competitive exposure and preparatory camps. Selection trials for the Nagaland state squad will be conducted in October, with specific dates and modalities to be notified soon.
Grassroots Expansion & Capacity Building
Grassroots promotion emerged as a central agenda, with the NPA outlining plans to engage schools and enter into Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with educational institutions for youth talent scouting.
Additionally, coaching certification programmes and dedicated women’s coaching clinics are planned alongside a proposed PWR tournament in late September or October, contingent on coach availability.
To sustain operational momentum and institutional accountability, the NPA resolved to conduct monthly review meetings, both in-person and online, reaffirming its commitment to building an inclusive, competitive, and sustainable pickleball ecosystem in Nagaland.
