The cross between tennis, ping-pong and badminton is growing in popularity but faces a shortage of courts and a problem with nimbys
on’t be put off by the silly name,” says Pam Fleming to a loud chorus of pop-pop-pop as ping-pong-like paddles strike a plastic ball back and forth on what used to be a tennis court in Sydney’s north. “This game could really be the next big thing here.”
There are now an estimated 20,000 pickleball players in Australia, with players, or “picklers”, skewing older at an average age of about 58. But Ron Shell, chief executive of Australia’s National Pickleball League, believes in three years that will grow to at least 1 million and in 10 years it will be an Olympic sport.
Three weeks ago, the club unveiled the first ever dedicated pickleball courts in Sydney on what used to be a multi-purpose tennis, basketball and netball court. “Otherwise, what’s going to happen here is what’s happened in the US where 40% of tennis courts have been converted to pickleball courts over the last four years because it just makes more commercial sense and more people actually play pickleball day to day,” he says. “So, to me, that’s the biggest ‘controversy’ that might be coming soon to Australia.”
“Pickleball does have some barriers , which would not make it suitable for every club.”Shell says a number of tennis clubs, where there is an issue of courts sitting unused, have already signed up as affiliates. This will, Shell hopes, aid his other grand scheme: make pickleball hip among the young and realise its potential as a cross-generational sport.
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