Sport
23 November, 2024
Game-changer for pickleball
AFTER strong advocacy from the Cairns and District Pickleball Club, the Cairns International Tennis Centre has unveiled four freshly-painted pickleball courts, bringing the fast-growing sport to the heart of the city for local players.
With over 100 members in its Cairns club, pickleball continues to grow in the city but players were eager for a more central hub for their weekly fixtures instead of travelling to Redlynch, Malanda and the Northern Beaches to be able to play.
The unveiling of four courts at the Cairns International Tennis Centre last week was welcomed by the pickleball community and the club which aims to attract more players around the CBD area.
Cairns International Tennis Centre head coach Wayne Fielder said the new courts had been an investment into the future for a sport that’s growing rapidly in the region.
“We’ve installed new LED lights and brand new pickleball courts at a cost of about $20,000, half of it from an infrastructure and sporting grant,” he said.
“The works took about a week but this is an investment. We’re betting on pickleball. As tennis players we’re purists, but we’re opening our mind to pickleball because the members of the club are lovely and they have this passion for racket sports that we do too.
“Pickleball is probably the fastest growing sport right now, so we want to support it. Also we’re a not-for-profit organisation and the club charges a fee to play, so any form of passive income the club receives helps us stay afloat.
“We want to continue to set up courts for the GBR Master Games, so in time I believe we’ll have approximately 12 pickleball courts.”
Cairns and District Pickleball Club committee member and pickleball referee Scott Cunliffe said the new courts were a game-changer for the club and all players in the community.
“We’ve flown a little under the radar until now but with the kind of facility that is the Cairns International Tennis Centre – which everyone knows – with media coverage and the upcoming Great Barrier Reef Master Games I expect a strong membership surge in the next six to 12 months,” he said.
“This (Cairns International Tennis Centre) is a key location for pickleball. It’s located on the main drag, people know the centre because of the Tennis Pro Tour championships and these courts show that this club has made a commitment to pickleball because they know it’s a huge growing sport.
“We’re really excited, they have facilities, parking, toilets, showers, people can get food and drinks, it’s very comfortable and it’s just the ideal location.”
