Sport
6 July, 2023
Hundreds flock to Morayfield for pickleball tournament
The Morayfield Sport and Event Centre (MSEC) hosted the highest-attended pickleball event in the southern hemisphere to date, as the Queensland Championships took place from June 30 to July 3.
The event featured 516 players in the main event during the first three days, and then 128 players in the team event on the final day.
All up there were 1352 matches played, 388 medals presented, and 1.4km of tape laid on the courts.
Competitors came from all around Australia while there were also about 30 from New Zealand. This was the second time MSEC hosted the event, with last year’s featuring about 350 players.
Round-robin fixtures were followed by finals as there were men’s, women’s, singles, doubles and mixed divisions, while age groups included 17 and under, 18+, 35+, 50+, 60+, 70+, and open’s.
The youngest competitor was 10 years of age while the eldest was 80, and there were also wheelchair events for para-athletes.
Highlights included Wesley Vine of Brisbane and Bruce Winther of Noosa winning a triple crown each.
The full list of medal winners can be seen online at https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptplg.aspx?eid=ffc61e96-97d1-485e-869c-3050ca80ba0f
