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Colleen Milos and Mylene Nativadad of Prince Albert came home with gold medals from the pickleball provincials. (submitted photo/Devin Gorder)
Provincial Pickleball Prowess

Prince Albert athletes bring home 18 medals from Pickleball provincials

Jun 12, 2023 | 5:00 PM

The best pickleball players in Saskatchewan were in Warman over the weekend for the provincial championships, and Prince Albert contributed more than their share of the athletes. Those same athletes came home with plenty of accolades as well.

Over 300 pickleball players were in Warman for provincials, and 17 people from Prince Albert were among those taking part in the three-day event. Those 17 players brought home 18 medals from the tournament.

“It was awesome to be part of it and also awesome to watch the event and just be in that environment myself,” said Devin Gorder of the Prince Albert Pickleball Club.

This event was an important step for many of those club members because, in August, several of them will be testing their skills against even tougher competition. Regina is hosting the national championship this summer.

“We even had quite a few people from Prince Albert there just watching the local players and cheering them on,” Gorder said. “I talked to a few of them here this morning, and we’re looking forward to going down to Regina.”

According to Gorder, who came home with a bronze medal himself, the level of competition was strong and a good test for those hoping to move on to the national tournament later on this summer.

“You’ve got people you’ve never played against and some that are a little higher level, some that are a little lower level,” Gorder said. “We’re playing in a category, so like a scale… you get a player that’s just as good as you or a little better. It’s like any sport, really. On any given day, anyone can win.”

Many people sign up to play pickleball as much for the social aspect as for the competitive aspect, and it is a very social sport. As such, getting over 300 pickleball players together from around the province resulted in a friendly atmosphere throughout the weekend.

“I think everybody walked away from there with some new friends, new phone numbers and contacts to play in different communities and cities through the province,” Gorder said. “It was just a really good, positive environment all around.”

Gorder also said a lot of those same players will be at nationals, so it gave them a good idea of the competition level for the next tournament, and gave them good experience playing outside the ranks of their usual opponents in the club.

rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP