PICKLEBALL is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and it has made its way to Saipan, thanks to the Pickleball Federation of the NMI which hosted its inaugural event at the newly striped court of American Memorial Park on Saturday.
“Several years ago, I got a hip replacement and after feeling well enough, I felt like getting back into tennis,” Paradise Dental General Dentist Nelson Krum said.
“My sister in-law said no, you should try pickleball. After watching videos on YouTube and Googling, two years ago the first pickleball court on Saipan was ‘striped’ in the dental office parking lot where we played on days when it was closed,” he added.
His love for the sport grew, and today pickleball has three courts at the LDS church and four more on Capital Hill.
And that is just the beginning, he said.
Krum just completed phase three of his ultimate goal on Saturday as the federation, which just recently became a member of the Northern Marianas Sports Association, hosted its inaugural event in which a total of 35 individuals participated.
“I loved the turnout!” Krum said. “Not too long from now, we’d reach the max of 48 players and people would have to be wait-listed.”
Even recent tennis gold medalists Robbie Schorr and Colin Ramsey took a liking to the sport which “combines many elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong.”
It is played both indoors or outdoors on a badminton-sized court and a slightly modified tennis net, with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes.
It is played as doubles or singles, and can be enjoyed by all ages and skill levels.
Krum said the event on Saturday was just for fun but it had a taste of real competition with a round-robin format in effect. “Crazy 8’s” and “King’s Ransom” were played in the early morning and later at night.
Krum said phase four will involve a pickleball facility located at the backside of American Memorial Park where the Taste of Marianas was previously held.
He said their federation has also asked for a pickleball facility at the Ada gym and at a memorial project that is also in the works on Capital Hill.
Robbie Schorr extends for the backhand return during the inaugural pickleball event at the newly striped court at American Memorial Park on Saturday.
Colin Ramsey connects the return during a pickleball match at the newly striped court at American Memorial Park on Saturday.
Participants pose for a photo before the start of the inaugural pickleball event at the newly striped court at American Memorial Park on Saturday.
