The Bolton Arena and Pickleball England welcomed some 1,500 Pickleball athletes who came to play for or defend their national titles during four days of competition between 30th October to 2nd November.
Athletes ranged in age from 8 to 78, competing in various tournament brackets.
Dane Court Grammar School pupil William Maclean-Bell, 12, is no stranger to the sport, playing for several years and competing nationally and internationally for the last three years. William is going from strength to strength on his athlete and tournament journey, this year scooping medals in several national and European tournaments.
Due to the meteoric growth of Pickleball across the nation William’s title battle has heated up. This year the junior bracket was split into three sections, with entry rankings of 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5+ to accommodate the sheer number of young people now playing Pickleball across the nation.
William and doubles partner Seb Oprea (Milton Keynes) played in the 3.5+ bracket competing against pairings from London, Manchester and Exeter. The round robin brackets saw William and Seb win two and lose two, placing them in the quarter finals, where they came head to head again to the Exeter partnership.
After a very tense battle William and Seb couldn’t quite outplay their opponents, and went on to play out a best of three Bronze medal play offs against London Duo Jackson and Alex. After going one game down, William and Seb came up with a strategy that saw them turn the match around, winning the next two games 11-4, 11-8.
William plays recreationally for Canterbury Area Pickleball Club and Pickleball Complete Academy.
In December 2024 Pickleball was recognised as an official sport by Sport England.
It is the fastest growing sports in the world, combining elements of Tennis, Badminton and Table Tennis. It’s accessible to all age ranges and abilities.
The sport has exploded in popularity across Thanet over the last few years, with many clubs available to play across, all welcoming beginners and seasoned players alike.
For more information about pickleball, visit www.pickleballengland.org
