Recently, in Costa Rica, the first 2023 pickleball championship was held, organized by the Cafetal Sport Center and San Ramón Tennis Academy.Undoubtedly, it was a completely new event for Ticos.
It is worth noting that this sport originated in the United States is now part of the Costa Rican sports scene; The courts are located in San Ramón de Alajuela, 800 meters south of the Kaluas restaurant.The players who participated were classified in the categories: intermediate and beginner.
Pickleball is growing fiercely in the United States
History says that pickleball dates back to the year 1960, on Bainbridge Island, in the state of Washington, also that the first competition was in the year 1965. At that time, the late Barney McCallum, a friend of a politician named Joel Pritchard, had the idea to create the game.
One version says that the friends wanted badminton but when they couldn’t find some of the necessary elements they improvised and a new modality of a game ended up appearing that has a ball (wiffle) and a shovel as its axis, which is pickleball.Experienced in the game, they emphasize that it is a combination of tennis, badminton, racquetball and table tennis.
It is about having a great time right now
Although pickleball was created many years ago, in these times it is known to be at its best. It is the fastest growing sport in the United States, the Sport & Fitness Industry Association reported in a study.In the United States, approximately 4.8 million people play the sport, all of them belonging to schools, local parks, five-star hotels and more.Now Costa Rica is part of the countries that have welcomed pickleball.
Pickleball details
Pickleball is played between two or four players using solid wood or composite paddles to hit a perforated polymer ball, much like a wiffle ball, with 26-40 round holes, over a net.
Its rules are similar to other racket sports, that is, the rival must pass the ball over the net to the opposite field.Only one dribble is allowed within the field of play. If it bounces out, the shot will be invalid. If it touches the ground twice, the point goes to the team that took the shot.Among other rules, the serve is crossed and starts from the right.
The greatest success of pickleball is that it is easy to learn. You can compete and also have fun with family and friends.In that sense, it is the opposite of tennis because there it takes hours to master the racket and learn the techniques.
In pickleball, little space is needed to create a suitable court.It is worth mentioning that experts on the subject affirm that those who play pickleball are mostly people between 40, 50 and 60 years of age.There is one authority that governs the sport and that is the International Pickleball Federation.
Finally, in the game the rivals
They are very close, which helps to create interaction and fluidity, that doesn’t happen much in other sports.Costa Rica already had its first tournament and you can learn more about pickleball in the country through the Facebook account: Pickleball Costa Rica.
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