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Photo Courtesy Kevin Kyle

Western Canada Regional Pickleball Championship begins in Medicine Hat

Jul 6, 2023 | 4:11 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The 2023 Western Canada Regional Pickleball Championship is officially underway in Medicine Hat. The tournament is taking place at the South Country Co-op Pickleball Courts at the Big Marble Go Centre from July 6-9. Over 500 participants from Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Yukon have arrived in the city to play in the tournament.

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in Canada. Brenda Lea MacPhail, one of the tournament organizers, says that’s because it’s a sport that anybody can play due to its simplicity and accessibility.

“I would say what has sparked the popularity of the sport is that it’s a game that anybody can play and by anybody, I mean all ages. Lots of people think that it’s an old person’s sport, but when you walk around the courts today and take a look at what’s going on, you’ll see every age playing, we have tons and tons of junior members that are 6 to 18 years old,” MacPhail said on Thursday. “In Medicine Hat, we have 47 junior members, and so I think the fact that it’s easy to play and pick up, it’s not expensive to get a paddle and throw it into your backpack and a ball and you can play anywhere in the world.”

The tournament has games covering various categories. Men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles matches are being played. MacPhail said that the tournament has people of all ages coming out to play. She said that the youngest participant is 18 years old, while the oldest is 80.

“Anybody who hasn’t seen pickleball, really needs to come out and see what the sport is all about,” MacPhail added.

Medicine Hat was announced as the host of the this year’s tournament in late 2022.

The event is free for the public to attend.