PICKLEBALL fever is sweeping through the region with the Snowy Valleys having the chance to jump on board to take up the sport and host some games.
Considered by numerous sources to be the fastest growing sport in the world, Pickleball has seen a massive uptake in Australia, United States and Britain over the past few years.
It was reported to have first been played in 1965 at Bainbridge Island, Washington, United States.
Launched in Australia in 2020, Pickleball Australia has nurtured and guided the development of the sport nationwide.
Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two players or four players hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball with paddles over a 34-inch-high (about 86 centimetres) net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction.
Pickleball is played indoors and outdoors.
Temora is the latest town to have embraced the sport by launching a tournament this week.
Temora Recreation Centre Manager Angela Guilfoyle described the game as a combination of tennis, badminton and ping pong.
The game is played indoors in singles or doubles, on a court roughly a quarter the size of a tennis court with a lower net, with large paddles and a light plastic ball.
The game could be likened to playing tennis on a badminton court with oversized ping pong paddles.
Pickleball is open for all ages and has players ranging in age from five years old through to 95.
Another description of Pickleball likens it to playing tennis without having too many long, tiring runs needed on a tennis court.
It can be a game played at a pace as fast or slow as you like, depending on who you’re playing against, making it great for all age and skill levels.
Temora’s Pickleball tournament will play out as a six week round-robin.
Ms Guilfoyle is hoping the word about the sport will spread throughout the Riverina with other towns hosting tournaments.
“Hopefully people will talk and the Pickleball community will grow, and if we do get that interest we can look at opening up our competition to other days,” Ms Guilfoyle said.
She said some schools in the area had shown interest and were pondering the idea of incorporating it into their school sport curriculums.
Wagga recently accredited its own Pickleball club with the Pickleball Association of NSW, joining the ranks of almost 200 official Pickleball clubs in the country.
Its club has almost 100 players, having grown through word-of-mouth since it began 12 months ago.
Since January 2023, the total number of registered Pickleball players in Australia has increased from just over 4000 to more than 11,000.
For more details on learning more about the sport or hosting a Pickleball competition, visitwww.pickleballaus.org
