Pickleball Photo: Marcel Uiterwijk
After a number of successful clinics in Het Activum, in which more than 50 participants took part in each edition, it is now time for the first Hoogeveens pickleball tournament. This tournament will take place on February 26 in the sports hall on the Valkenlaan.
Although the term tournament sounds quite professional, the organization invites everyone to participate. Also the majority who have never played the game. It is divided by strength so that the players who have never done it before also get help with the rules. “The rest comes naturally because the sport is quite accessible and after 5 minutes everyone is hitting a ball,” says Bert Mol of pickleball courts Hollandscheveldse Tennis Club and clinic by Martin Verkerk – Regionieuws Hoogeveen”>Pickleball.nl and the Hollandscheveld tennis association.
Combination of badminton, table tennis and tennis
Pickleball is a combination of badminton, table tennis and tennis. The field is a lot smaller than a tennis court and about the size of a badminton court. The ball is similar in size to a tennis ball but is made of plastic and contains holes. The net is somewhat smaller than a tennis net and the racket, called paddle, contains no strings but is hard and made of wood or carbon. The sport is booming in America and already has 4.2 million players there. However, it has already reached Europe and is already quite popular, especially in the Scandinavian countries, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Two pickleball courts are being realized in Hollandscheveld
The tournament in Hoogeveen will take place on February 26 in the sports hall on the Valkenlaan from 12.30 pm to 4 pm (women’s and men’s doubles) and from 4.15 pm to 6.30 pm (mix doubles). You can register via www.pickleball.nl . Material is provided. Mol: “Those who are also infected with the pickleball virus after this introduction can also practice this sport from May this year at the Hollandscheveld tennis club. This association is working on the realization of two pickleball courts.”
This pickleball tournament is made possible in part by the Hoogeveens Sports Agreement.
