Accra-Ghana, Oct. 24, GNA – The Ghana Pickleball Association (GPA) has organised its maiden National Open Pickleball Championship as part of a campaign to increase interest in the sport in Ghana.
The sport, which was first introduced in the United States in 1965, is one of the fastest-growing in the world and would likely feature at the Olympic Games in 2032.
The tournament was hosted in Ghana for the first time, with various players battling for honours at the handball court of the University of Ghana.
In view of these developments, Dr. Kwabena Dautey Akufo, President of the Ghana Pickleball Association, said his outfit aims to develop interest in sports in Ghana so that Ghanaians can leverage the progress made in the sport.
He said that in the bid to develop interest in sports in the country, the association had organised a series of tournaments and events in several tertiary institutions.
“So our strategy has been to introduce the sport in Ghana; we have held tournaments in tertiary institutions; we first introduced it here at the University of Ghana.
“We have been to several tertiary institutions, including the University of Cape Coat, the University of Education, Winneba, all the University of Development Studies campuses, and the University of Health and Allied Sciences,’’ he said.
He added, “We hope to visit the rest of the regions to organise other tournaments.’’
Commenting on the social significance of sport, Dr. Akufo said it is more convenient than other sports, and all that was required to play the game was a net, a ball, and a pad.
Dr. Akufo also said the sport is socially engaging as it relieves individuals from boredom since it is played in pairs and a small space is required to be covered by the players.
He further stated that the sport is misconstrued with other sports, especially tennis, but he said that unlike tennis, the court required to play pickleball is smaller than the court required to play tennis.
Dr. Akufo noted that the tournament was part of the activities to prepare the Ghanaian team for the African Nations tournament, which will be hosted in Ghana.
