Team To Compete At Pickleball World Cup
The Pickleball Association of Bermuda [PAB] has selected a team to represent Bermuda at the Pickleball World Cup in Lima, Peru, next month.
Representing the island in the Open Elite Men’s Division at the competition, which runs from October 26 to 28, are Gavin Manders, Benjamin Jones, Alvaro Triana, and Jasper Thomas.
Jaden Jones and Kai Manders are the junior options. Jones has been selected as part of the PAB junior initiative, aligning with the World Cup Junior initiative.
Sasha Fisher, Melissa Judd and Imani Phillips will compete in the Open Elite Women’s Division.
The senior men’s division consists of Mark Cordeiro, Michael Way, Stuart Smith, and George Thomas; meanwhile, Tori Powell, Christine Todd, Sarah Fox and Val Stevenson will compete in senior women’s division.
Bermuda will compete against 27 nations in the elite division and 16 in the senior division, including countries such as the United States, Brazil, China and regional counterparts the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.
The Open Elite Team is funded through the Sports Investment Programme [SIP], while other team members have raised their own funds or are self-funded.
Gavin Manders, the national director of pickleball, said participating in the World Cup is a monumental opportunity for Bermuda.
“It not only allows our athletes to gain international experience but also positions Bermuda as a leader in the Caribbean region,” Manders said.
“This event is just the beginning of our long-term strategy to build competitive pickleball teams and develop future champions.”
Selection for the World Cup was based on players’ performances in international and local tournaments, their Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating [DUPR] and their results from the two national trials held on March 17 and June 9.
