The 2019 Provincial Championships in Pickleball has been awarded to the City of North Bay as the sports tourism division continues to extend its influence across many sports.
Over 300 pickleballers are expected to attend this three-day event in June 2019.
What is Pickleball?
According to Wikipedia, “Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, similar to a wiffle ball, over a net.”
Video courtesy YouTube
Pickleball has been growing by leaps and bounds in the north, with the newly formed North Bay Pickleball Club having attracted over eighty members since forming in the fall. Active clubs in Sudbury and Manitoulin Island, as well as organized play in the surrounding communities of Astorville and Callander, highlight the popularity of the sport.
In preparation for the 2019 Provincials, North Bay will be hosting the first ever Pickleball Canada sanctioned tournament in Northern Ontario. The North Bay Assante 101 Open is being held this coming May 19-20 at Nipissing University.
For further information, please contact the tournament director John Halliday at [email protected].
