Pickleball Community Shield set for Bulawayo showdown

Nkosilathi Sibanda [email protected]

BULAWAYO will come alive with pickleball action this Saturday when players from across the country converge at Hornung Park in Burnside for the Zimbabwe Pickleball Community Shield.

The tournament, organised by the Zimbabwe Pickleball Association (ZPA), is expected to draw participants from across the country, while spectators are set to enjoy a full day of sporting action and family entertainment.

Apart from the competition on the courts, organisers have lined up market stalls, health clinics, braai stands and a children’s fun zone, with free entry for members of the public.

ZPA president Mthandazo Ngwenya said everything was in place for what promises to be one of the association’s biggest community events.

“All is set for the Zimbabwe Pickleball Community Shield to be held at Hornung Park in Burnside on 29 August. We have players coming all the way from Kwekwe and other areas. Entry is completely free for those who want to come and watch,” said Ngwenya.

“With the stalls, health clinics and family activities we have lined up, we expect the people of Bulawayo and beyond to take this opportunity to come together as one community.”

The Community Shield comes at a time when the sport is gaining momentum in Bulawayo following efforts to introduce pickleball at grassroots level.

Earlier this month, more than 50 recreational and vocational officers from the City of Bulawayo, together with sports officers from schools and other institutions, completed a Trainer of Trainers Certification Course at White City Stadium.

The training programme followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the ZPA and the City of Bulawayo aimed at expanding the sport within communities.

Ngwenya said the city council had played a key role in making the Community Shield possible through its Sports Economy initiative.

“We appreciate the major support from the City of Bulawayo. They have assisted us from day one to pull off this event under the Sports Economy initiative, and that shows the strong community element behind this initiative,” he said.

The ZPA president also acknowledged support from corporate partners and appealed to more companies and organisations to invest in the development of the sport.

The Zimbabwe Pickleball Community Shield has also received backing from the Global Pickleball Federation and the Confederation of African Pickleball, further highlighting the growing profile of the sport in the country.