Aditya Khanna of New Delhi, India, is a pioneering figure in Indian pickleball, serving as the CEO of the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), the National Sports Federation for pickleball in India, and as the first Secretary of the Asian Pickleball Association, the continental federation of the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF). Widely recognized as the driving force of pickleball in India, he has been instrumental in bringing together Asian member nations and establishing the organizational structure for the sport. Khanna also helped conceptualize and launch the Indian Pickleball League in December 2025, promoting competitive play and grassroots participation across India and Asia.
A former professional tennis player, Aditya currently captains the Indian 40+ Tennis Team and is ranked among the top 10 in the world in ITF Masters. He has served as Tournament Director for high-profile Davis Cup ties, including India vs. Spain (with Rafa Nadal) and India vs. Denmark. An accomplished entrepreneur, Khanna owns and leads companies across textiles, real estate, and sports, and is a strategic partner of India’s Tennis Premier League. An undergraduate from the London School of Economics with a master’s degree from the University of Oxford and prior investment banking experience in London, he leverages his international experience to grow and professionalize sport in India and Asia.
Asia Federation Representative
Manish Rao of Mumbai, India has been actively involved in growing pickleball throughout India and internationally, since 2016. He currently serves as Chief Mentor of the Indian Pickleball Association, growing pickleball through grassroots programs in India. Rao has traveled extensively to compete and medal in international tournaments, and currently serves as Head of Operations for Franklin India and is CEO of his security company installing access control, fire control, and high end CCTV systems. Rao was part of the inaugural team that introduced pickleball to Nepal in 2020. He enjoys wildlife photography as a hobby, and holds a B Tech in Electronics.
At-Large
(Chile)
Chandler Carney is a native of the United States currently residing in Chile, where she focuses on expanding the reach of pickleball through KONDOR Pickleball and “Chile Juega Pickleball.” Her athletic career includes playing division 1 and 11 volleyball, setting a Big East Conference Record as a freshman and later captaining her team as a sophomore. She then proceeded to coach multiple club and high school teams..
Upon moving to South America, Chandler discovered racquet sport "padel" and was later selected to represent Team USA in the 2021 and 2023 Senior Pan American games located in Asunción, Paraguay and Camboriú, Brazil. Chandler’s first go at competitive pickleball was in 2023 — medaling at an international tournament in Lima, Peru. Since then, she has dedicated her time to organizing pickleball clinics, providing guidance and resources to local clubs, and serving as a pickleball ambassador between the United States and Chile.
In addition to her sporting endeavors, Chandler works as a U.S. Immigration Attorney assisting individuals of Extraordinary Ability, athletes and coaches, to navigate U.S. immigration law. She also serves on the Standards and Ethics Committee of the U.S. Padel Association. Chandler holds a juris doctor from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law. With her blend of legal acumen, international sports experience, and passion for pickleball, Chandler seeks to promote the values of the Global Pickleball Federation in the continued growth of the sport around the world.
At-Large
(USA)
Ruth Rosenquist of Scottsdale, Arizona, is a PR/marketing practitioner and avid pickleball player since she discovered the sport in 1992. Today, she chairs the MarCom committee as a board member of the Global Pickleball Federation, the international sports governing body for pickleball. Ruth also serves as VP of Marketing for a proprietary paddle brand based in Newport Beach, CA.
In 2013, Ruth became a staunch advocate for the sport of pickleball, serving on the USA Pickleball board first as Media Chair, continuing as a PR consultant until 2019. Rosenquist facilitated the first news story where pickleball was named “the fastest growing sport in America” by NBC Nightly News in 2014. A decade later, that phrase still rings true. From 2020-2022, Ruth turned her focus to growing pickleball across the globe due to her formative years living in Ibadan, Nigeria. In 2022, she launched Pickleball Fundraising Programs for Susan G. Komen. In her early career, Ruth is most proud of programs she rolled out for Save the Children and Autism Speaks, raising over $3 million. She also developed a sensory-friendly experience for children of all abilities in partnership with Autism Speaks, presented in 600 locations across North America today.
Ruth holds a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Arizona State University.
Marcin Matysik of Katowice, Poland has served as Secretary General of the Global Professional Tennis Coach Association (GPTCA) for over 10 years. Based in Bach, Switzerland, the GPTCA has become the world’s preeminent tennis coaches’ organization. In partnership with the ATP World Tour, the GPTCA is represented in 45 countries, and is the only organization in the world offering ATP certified courses.
Marcin is the founder of 410N, a consulting, media and event management agency for professional tennis players and tennis-related entities. Clients include Grand Slam champions including Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova and ATP World Tour tournaments. He collaborates with brands such as Rolex, Rado, Porsche, Lexus, Adidas, Yonex and more. He also serves on the Advisory Board of leading technological sports start-ups.
Matysik founded and serves as President of the Polish Pickleball Association (Polski Pickleball) since 2019. He introduced pickleball to Poland in 2019 and has been growing the game ever since. He manages the Polish Pickleball Tour and Junior Tour events across Poland, with 400 players in the official rankings. He also runs instructor courses as a joint venture with PCI and manages a network of national ambassadors. Marcin holds an MA in English and PDip in Business IT from the University of Silesia, Katowice with an MBA from EY Academy of Business.
At-Large Director
(Ireland)
Michael Mc Daid of Donegal Town, Ireland, established Pickleball Ireland, one of the first National Associations in Europe in 2015. Since that time, he has made it his mission to bring what he describes as a “totally unique and inclusive sport” to the nation. Over the past seven years, he has visited every county in Ireland to introduce pickleball. Overcoming many challenges along the way, pickleball now has a strong foothold in Ireland with over 50 clubs and approximately 1,000 players. Today, having stepped down as a Director of Pickleball Ireland, McDaid remains very active at a grass roots level, continuing to evangelize pickleball in new venues and serve as a coach in established clubs. He is a self-described entrepreneur, involved in retail, Interior design and custom rug manufacturing for his Irish heritage brand, “Donegal Carpets”, while coaching tennis. Mc Daid holds a degree in Legal Studies and Political Science from Galway University.
GPF Secretary General
Oceania Continental Director
(Australia)
Jen Ramamurthy of Brisbane, Australia has been involved with the development of pickleball in Australia since 2018 and currently sits as the Board Chair for Pickleball Australia. More recently she has also been part of the team who established the Oceania Pickleball Federation. Jen's responsibilities include overseeing the development and implementation of effective strategic plans and assisting with managing the growth of pickleball in the region to ensure the sustainability of both organisations. Jen's background includes 25 years of teaching, leadership and teacher education in the disciplines of Physical Education and Science, while simultaneously taking on coaching and sports management responsibilities at regional, state, and national levels in various sports. Jen is currently working as the co-founder and director of a company that delivers affordable solar to the remote and rural regions of Papua New Guinea. She holds a Masters of Education degree in e-learning and Gifted Education.
Apostle Dr. Kwabena Dautey Akufo of Accra, Ghana, is President of the Ghana Pickleball Association and the Confederation of African Pickleball (CAP). Most recently, Dr. Akufo was influential in adding pickleball as a demonstration sport to The African Games for the first time, to be held in Accra, Ghana in March 2024. Dr. Akufo is also Chairman of the Seminary Governing Council of Apostolic Church Theological Seminary (ACTS) located in Kumasi, Ghana. He served on the board of Altiostar Networks from 2013-2021, developing cell phone tower products. Prior to Pastoral Ministry, he spent 20 years as an engineer in the computer industry, as Vice President and General Manager of Internetworking Engineering at Tellabs, a telecom company. Dr, Akufo taught Computer Science as an adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Lowell (now University of Massachusetts, Lowell) and at Boston University, and is the author of three ministry books.
He has a Doctor of Ministry and a Master of Arts in Religion from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts. He also has a Master of Science in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York and a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and Economics from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
At-Large
(Canada)
Tony Casey of Vancouver, Canada, served as a Director and Vice President of Pickleball Canada for four years. He currently chairs the Global Affairs committee for Pickleball Canada and is a leader of a pickleball schools project in east Vancouver. Casey was a founding board member of the Pickleball Federation of the Americas (Continental Federation for the Western Hemisphere) and the Global Pickleball Federation.
As a former program director in the Canadian health sector, Casey has thirty-five years of management experience (local, provincial and national) in health promotion and wellness, heart health and cardiac rehabilitation, public and emergency health, and organizational development. He was the initial fitness and coordinator for the Vancouver Canucks professional hockey team. He has filled roles as a volunteer, coach, organizer, program manager and board member for ice hockey, soccer and baseball, and was named Executive of the Year on two occasions. Tony Casey enjoys playing pickleball in Vancouver, Phoenix and Oaxaca City, and on the west coast of Ireland. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University and Master of Arts degree from the University of Victoria.
At-Large
(Canada)
Cynthia Clark of Calgary, Alberta, is an experienced entrepreneur consulting in sectors that include commercial and retail sales, human resources, start-ups and business development.
Clark has served on a variety of boards (profit and not-for-profit) for over 20 years. Clark brings her background in sales, marketing, and customer service to these roles.
Clark is GPF’s Director of Member operations overseeing membership engagement, retention initiatives, develop implement processes to enhance member experience and streamline communications with over 70 GPF members globally.
Before her role with GPF, Clark was a director with Pickleball Canada (2021-2024). Clark also engages in philanthropic initiatives, sitting on the board of directors of the J T Clark Family Foundation and the Passamaquoddy Lodge Foundation. Clark took her first pickleball lesson in 2021 and has been hooked ever since. Clark graduated from the Ivey School of Business.
At-Large
(USA)
Mark Fabbro, of Boston, Massachusetts, is an avid pickleball player, certified instructor and member of the Board of USA Pickleball. Mark first played pickleball in 1980, while growing up in British Columbia, Canada, just a short distance from Bainbridge Island, WA – the birthplace of pickleball.
Fabbro has more than 20 years of executive experience in Marketing, Media, and Advertising, serving in leadership roles at multiple global companies in New York and Boston. Mark’s work extends from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, and his experience in Strategy, Branding, Digital, Media, and Creative has helped many grow their global brands and businesses in the Financial Services, Healthcare, CPG, Travel, and Sports categories. While working at Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide, Grey Worldwide, and Arnold Worldwide, some clients included Titleist/Acushnet Holdings, Ocean Spray, Novartis Consumer Health, Johnson & Johnson and General Mills. Mark graduated from Brown University (Providence, RI) where he was captain of Brown’s Division 1 Men’s Hockey Team. He is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.
At-Large
(USA)
Justin Maloof of Phoenix, Arizona was named Executive Director for USA Pickleball on January 1, 2013 and was the organization’s first full-time employee. He was elevated to Chief Operating Officer in 2021. As USA Pickleball’s COO, he is responsible for the overall operation of the organization. He also oversees USA Pickleball’s operational structure, sustainability and service to its members and sponsors. Maloof is entering his 12th year with USA Pickleball and his 32nd year in professional/amateur sports. Prior to joining USAP, he served 16 years with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes Hockey Club. He served 2 years as the team’s head fan development before being named Executive Director of the team’s training center in Scottsdale.
Treasurer
(Philippines)
Mike Johnson of Manila, Philippines has a diverse career as commercial helicopter pilot, entrepreneur and businessman. He is a world pickleball ambassador, certified pickleball Instructor, founder and current Chairman of the Philippine Pickleball Federation (PPF), co-founder and former Secretary General of the Singapore-based Asia Federation of Pickleball (AFP) and former Secretary of the International Federation of Pickleball (now known as IPF). Mike also served as co-chair of the international pickleball rules committee, and as a founding member of both the Unify Pickleball Task Force (UPTF) and the International Pickleball Action Committee (IPAC), which formed to unite the sport under a single international governing body. Today Johnson serves on the Board of Directors of the Global Pickleball Federation, (GPF) and continues to work toward global unification of the sport.
Vice President
(USA)
Steve Sidwell of Paso Robles, California began his career in international regulatory affairs. His work enabled global market access for medical devices, which fueled his lifelong passion for diverse cultures. Sidwell discovered pickleball in 2013, and his love for the game flourished. He served in USAPA roles from District Ambassador to West Coast Regional Director, overseeing 220 Ambassadors and the first 1,000-participant USAPA Regional Tournament.
His international pickleball journey began in Madrid in 2015, from tournaments across Europe to an alliance to organize the sport globally. Serving as President and Membership Director of an international pickleball organization, he tirelessly worked to unify over 60 countries across five continents. In 2022, Sidwell championed the formation of the Global Pickleball Federation, uniting the top ten pickleball-playing countries as Vice President of the Pickleball Federation of the Americas, before assuming his current role as GPF Vice President. He holds a B.S. degree in Business from the University of Nebraska.
GPF President
Americas Continental Director
Javier Regalado of Mexico City, Mexico is a founding member of the Liga Profesional de Pickleball Mexico (LPPM), the governing body for pickleball in Mexico. He was chosen to serve as the first President for the Pickleball Federation of the Americas (PFA), the continental federation for the Western Hemisphere, and is currently serving as the first President of the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF).
Regalado has enjoyed an extensive international career as an entrepreneur. He has championed several start-up companies and served as a Board Member in a variety of industries in his native Mexico and the U.S. including: automotive, logistics, finance, real estate, tourism and baked goods. His love for pickleball grew out of his background in tennis, having played college tennis at the University of Texas at El Paso where he earned an Engineering Degree. Regalado received his MBA degree in Mexico City, and travels frequently between Mexico and the U.S.